New York's Newest Veterans

Key Findings and Policy Implications of the RAND Corporation’s Needs Assessment of New York State VeteransMoran Banai and Bryan Maxwell

NEW YORK’S NEWEST VETERANS[ ]

2 IAVA ISSUE REPORT JUNE 2011: NEW YORK’S NEWEST VETERANS

CONTENTS

! INTRODUCTION 3

! NAVIGATING COMPLEX SYSTEMS 5

! MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS 7

! BARRIERS TO TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES 7

! EMPLOYMENT CONCERNS 10

! NEEDS OF VETERANS’ FAMILIES 12

! POLICY IMPLICATIONS FROM RAND REPORT 13

! IAVA POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 14

! CONCLUSION 15

! ENDNOTES 15

BECAUSE OEF/OIF VETERANS MAKE UP SUCH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS, THEY RETURN TO EVERY CORNER OF A COUNTRY THAT HAS, FOR THE MOST PART, NOT SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES.

3

INTRODUCTIONThe troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan carry with them to the civilian world

of Americans, they return to every corner of a country that has, for the most part, not

The RAND Corporation, with the sponsorship of the New York State Health Foundation, has taken an important step toward this understanding with its new report, “A Needs Assessment of New York State Veterans: Final Report to the New York

” Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

to supporting the newest generation of veterans, which

RAND used focus groups and an epidemiologic survey to look at the needs of new veterans

point in time, while the survey provided a quantitative assessment of the challenges of

The challenges articulated included unemployment, mental health injuries, stigma and

the perspective of the 50 percent of new veterans who have not registered with the

address the needs of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2011/RAND_TR920.pdf





FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, STEVE KRAFT OF BAY SHORE, NY TOOK LEAVE FROM HIS CIVILIAN JOB AND JOINED THE U.S. ARMY. He served in Iraq with the 82nd

during the initial invasion in

Like many New York veterans, Steve faced challenges after he returned home and separated

Steve was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after his deployment to Iraq,

for Steve, he had a one-on-one mentor to walk him through the process and get him the help

STEVE KRAFT, NY VETERAN

5

FORTY-TWO PERCENT OF VETERANS SURVEYED SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE “A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO THEM,” AND 27 PERCENT SAID THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW “HOW TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.”

NAVIGATING COMPLEX SYSTEMSO

Outreach Center and Watertown’s Soldier and Family Assistance Center, and veterans’

i

The veterans in the focus groups agreed on some potential solutions

for this new generation of veterans

Veterans reported that service

information when they separate from the military, when all they want


VETERANS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CHALLENGESRAND FOUND THAT THE VETERANS IN ITS FOCUS GROUPS REPORTED FACING THE FOLLOWING CHALLENGES.THIS LIST IS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE ISSUES DISCUSSED BY VETERANS AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS EITHER EXHAUSTIVE OR AN INDICATION OF ISSUE IMPORTANCE.

1. STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

2. SOCIAL ISOLATION

3. CONFUSION ABOUT BENEFITS AND ELIGIBILITY

4. UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDER-EMPLOYMENT

5. DIFFICULTIES FUNDING EDUCATION

6. DIFFICULTIES WITH DISABILITY EVALUATIONS

Concerns that those doing the evaluations have no understanding of the military

7. LACK OF SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES

8. WOMEN’S SERVICESPerceptions of some that the VA is not equipped to serve the needs of female veter-

7

MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS

days—16 percent had symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of major depression and

14 percent of OEF/OIF veterans screened positive for PTSD and 14 percent for major ii

NEW YORK VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH INJURIES

In terms of seeking care, the New York study found that 56 percent of respondents either

BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

Though the VA provides comprehensive health care, only half of all new veterans at iii

reported that many veterans struggled with the long travel distance to their closest VA facility; for many, the travel time to the closest facility turned a simple appointment into

The New York RAND report found that veterans had two top concerns that might prevent them from seeking mental health care at either civilian or VA facilities: fear of side

MAJ

ORDE

PRES

SION

16

%

PTSD

16

%

BOTH

MAJ

OR

DEPR

ESSI

ON

AND

PTSD

10 %

18%

16%

14%

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%


iv Among the New York veterans, 35

Veterans also fear that they will face discrimination when looking for employment as

v

clearance forms in 2008 so that those seeking mental health care for wounds resulting

a lack of awareness of the change in the law and a fear that the treatment will come to

Providing OEF/OIF veterans with high-quality mental health support will require the efforts of federal, state and local governments in

groups and veterans’ service

an outreach and education

At the same time, civilian mental health care, which many veterans choose to use as an

BARRIERS TO CARE

VETERANS FEAR THAT THEY WILL FACE DISCRIMINATION WHEN LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A RESULT OF SEEKING TREATMENT.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

15% PERCEPTION THAT EVEN GOOD MENTAL HEALTH CARE IS NOT VERY EFFECTIVEMEDICATIONS WITH POTENTIAL TO HELP HAVE TOO MANY SIDE EFFECTS 35%

14% FRIENDS AND FAMILY WOULD RESPECT VETERAN LESS

CONCERNS ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY OF TREATMENT 20%VETERAN’S SUPERVISOR MIGHT RESPECT HIM/HER LESS 21%

CO-WORKERS WOULD HAVE LESS CONFIDENCE IF THEY KNEW 26%POSSIBILITY OF BEING DENIED A SECURITY CLEARANCE IN THE FUTURE 32%

PROFESSIONAL HELP COULD HARM VETERAN’S CAREER 33% 4% DIFFICULTY ARRANGING TRANSPORTATION

12% NOT KNOWING WHERE TO GET HELP OR WHOM TO SEE

13% DIFFICULTY SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT14% DIFFICULTY GETTING CHILD CARE OR TIME OFF WORK

HIGH COST OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE 19%

4% POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTACT OR CUSTODY OF CHILD 2% VETERAN’S SPOUSE/PARTNER WOULD NOT WANT HIM/HER TO GET TREATMENT

11% PERCEIVED INEFFECTIVENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENTS AVAILABLE

LOGISTICALBARRIERS

PREFERENCES FORTREATMENT

INSTITUTIONAL &CULTURAL BARRIERS

9

MARIA CANALES, NY VETERAN

MARIA CANALES, OF BROOKLYN, NY, SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY FOR FOUR YEARS AND THE ARMY RESERVE FOR TWO MORE. years in Germany where she assisted service

2005 to 2006, and served with the 266th Finance Command out of Germany providing

For more information on female veterans see IAVA’s report “Women Warriors: Supporting HTTPS://IAVA.ORG/REPORTS

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%


THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR VETERANS IN THE SURVEY WAS ALMOST 13 PERCENT—MORE THAN 4 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN THE OVERALL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN NEW YORK STATE IN AUGUST 2010.

EMPLOYMENT CONCERNSIn addition to mental health, one of the main challenges New York State OEF/OIF

13 percent—more than 4 percentage points higher than the overall unemployment rate

vi

Additionally, some veterans in the survey were under-employed or looking for a

said that they were not working as many hours as

percent were looking for a

And it must work with communities to overcome misperceptions that veterans are

HTTP://IAVA.ORG/REPORTS

vii

Statistics found that in 2010 the rate of unemployment was lower for veterans

more than a third of the respondents were enrolled in a university or

more veterans and their families,

at universities that ensure that once veterans are enrolled they get the support they

THE NEW GI BILL AND ITS 2010 UPGRADES, WHICH EXPANDED THE BENEFIT TO OVER 400,000 MORE VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, ARE CRITICAL TOOLS TO HELP LOWER VETERAN UNEMPLOYMENT.

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EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF NEW YORK STATE VETERANS

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS

CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPLOYED VETERANS

ENROLLED IN UNIVERSITY ORCOLLEGE IN THE PAST YEAR 36%

EMPLOYED FULL OR PART TIME 72%

NOT WORKING 18%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

10% UNEMPLOYED AND LOOKING FOR WORK

CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A NEWJOB OR AN ADDITIONAL JOB 38%

CURRENT JOB MAKES GOOD USE OF SKILLS AND TRAINING 73%

ADDITIONAL TRAINING OR COLLEGE WOULD HELP TO ADVANCE CAREER 77%

15% WORKING FEWER HOURS THAN WOULD LIKE

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%


NEEDS OF VETERANS’ FAMILIES

families need: more assistance during all phases of deployment and more education

commands that provide support and information to families during deployment—spoke

The survey of spouses showed that,

among the spouses was relatively low at 10 percent, 21 percent reported a visit to a

among spouses is low, yet the many spouses who do wish to seek mental health care

THE SURVEY OF SPOUSES SHOWED THAT, LIKE THEIR VETERANS, THEY FACE BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.

13

THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE CHALLENGES REQUIRES THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, AND NOT ONLY THE VA AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THESE NEW VETERANS AND HELP THEM UNLOCK THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS FROM RAND REPORT

VA and the federal government, come together to support these new veterans and help

In addition, this report offers other states a model for similar assessments and investments in their

of research on the newest generation of veterans is

state, RAND’s report shows that there are similarities

veterans and other OEF/


IAVA POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

state and local governments, as well as the private sector and community groups

some key recommendations from IAVA’s 2011 Policy Agenda that touch on the issues

HTTP://IAVA.ORG/POLICYAGENDA

NAVIGATING COMPLEX SYSTEMS

MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS

tested and coordinated through DoD, VA, the White House, local governments,

Continue adequate funding to fully implement the National Guard and Reserve

Design and implement national guidelines and programs from the VA to reach

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EMPLOYMENT CONCERNS

Create state and local veterans’ preference laws for all levels of government hiring

NEEDS OF VETERANS’ FAMILIES

Properly implement and evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of the Caregivers and

CONCLUSION

investment in our servicemembers. We train them to excel under extreme pressure, to show leadership, to value service and to protect one another and our country. Understanding the challenges and concerns that New York veterans face when they come home can help state and local policy makers and community leaders make smart choices about how to ensure that this investment continues to pay dividends once servicemembers return home. If we act now and continue to invest in New York’s newest veterans, we can ensure that these veterans become New York’s Next Greatest Generation.

ENDNOTESi

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