Pilot Project 1
Bedford VA VITAL Supported Education (VITAL-SEd) Intervention Research
Mental health services are under-utilized by Veterans despite the effectiveness of available psychological treatments. If left untreated, psychological/behavioral difficulties and distress over time can affect many life domains, including work/school functioning, professional development, relationships, physical health, and overall quality of life. For example, among Veterans who served after 2001 (numbering over 2.7 million), an estimated 20% have PTSD and/or major depression. However, up to half of those with a mental health issue are not engaged in any mental health care. Research finds that for Veterans, primary barriers to accessing services/treatment include stigma associated with help-seeking, and expectations that services or care will not be helpful. Supporting Student Veterans with mental health issues in pursuing educational goals is an important focus for the SoCRR Program. The VITAL-SEd supported education intervention is designed to engage Student Veterans who are having serious academic difficulties, but who lack services for severe concerns/problems following their military service. Colleges and universities represent important settings where peers and providers can reach many Veterans, particularly recent Veterans for whom general outreach efforts have not been effective. Our two-fold goals are to increase engagement in returning Veterans who are without services/treatment, and to promote academic success, mental health and wellbeing, and community integration for returning Veterans with untreated mental health conditions. Specialized VITAL Program Teams already provide services such as counseling and coordination of care, academic supports and accommodations on a number of college campuses. The specific goals of the pilot VITAL-SEd intervention to be tested here is intended to prevent delayed health services engagement and course failures, which can result in personal losses that negatively impact community integration and necessitate later, more intensive rehabilitation. Thus, the VITAL-SEd pilot trial we will conduct adds two key practices to the services that are already available by VITAL Program Teams.. First, Veteran Peer Specialists will proactively outreach to Student Veterans who are identified to be failing or withdrawing from classes with an eye towards engaging Veterans who do not seek out care/services. Second, Veteran Peer Specialists will do intensive, collaborative work with Student Veterans to identify issues/concerns and to identify and help the Student Veteran engage with needed services. By addressing a Veteran's felt need for education supports, there are natural opportunities to discover underlying mental health challenges and then to use an already established helping relationship to facilitate entry into treatment. In the proposed pilot study of VITSAL-SEd, we will study the design, feasibility, and effectiveness of trainings to implement VITAL-SEd. Our research aims to meet two of the VA's critical goals: (1) improving utilization of needed services, particularly mental health services, and (2) expanding services for community reintegration. Further, we will delineate procedures and principles for addressing barriers to help-seeking in Student Veterans, with the goal of initiating successful treatment engagement.
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