Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun;44(2):148-156.
doi: 10.1037/prj0000437. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Experiences of VA vocational and education training and assistance services: Facilitators and barriers reported by veterans with disabilities

Megan Shepherd-Banigan  1 , Terri K Pogoda  2 , Kevin McKenna  3 , Nina Sperber  1 , Courtney H Van Houtven  1
Affiliations

Experiences of VA vocational and education training and assistance services: Facilitators and barriers reported by veterans with disabilities

Megan Shepherd-Banigan et al. Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To understand the experiences of veterans with disabilities and caregiving needs who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) vocational and education services, including Supported Employment, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.

Method: We conducted 26 joint semistructured interviews with post-9/11 veterans who had used at least one of three vocational and education services, and their family members who were enrolled in a VA Caregiver Support Program.

Results: VA vocational and education services helped veterans with disabilities transition from the military into civilian life by providing skills and incremental exposure to engaging in everyday life tasks. Veteran motivation, caregiver support, and engaged staff at VA and academic institutions were key drivers of veteran success. Veterans who experienced challenges cited the following barriers: health problems, concerns about benefits loss if they became employed, and VA and academic programs that did not accommodate the needs of nontraditional veteran learners.

Conclusions and implications for practice: There is a need to bolster VA vocational and educational services for veterans with disabilities in several domains, including modifying the roles of frontline staff and increasing communication between vocational counselors and health care teams to better accommodate the veteran's health-related limitations. Providing a vocational rehabilitation navigator to help veterans identify opportunities within VA and work/educational settings that are a good match for the veteran's goals and abilities could also be beneficial across vocational and educational services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Bell GL (2015). After the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: Veterans’ Adjustment and the Use of Benefits in Post-Secondary Education. (PhD Dissertation). University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
    1. Browning LTR (2015). Where Failure Is Not the Option-The Military Friendly College: Exploring Student Service Members’ and Student Veterans’ Persceptions of Climate, Transition, and Camaraderie. (EdD). West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. (5270)
    1. Carlson KF, Kehle SM, Meis LA, Greer N, Macdonald R, Rutks I, . . . Wilt TJ (2011). Prevalence, assessment, and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review of the evidence. J Head Trauma Rehabil, 26(2), 103–115. doi:10.1097/HTR.0b013e3181e50ef1 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Carlson KF, Pogoda TK, Gilbert TA, Resnick SG, Twamley EW, O’Neil ME, & Sayer NA (2018). Supported Employment for Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury: Patient Perspectives. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 99(2S), S4–S13 e11. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2017.06.027 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cate CA (2011). Student Veterans’ College Experiences: Demographic Comparisons, Differences in Academic Experiences, and On-Campus Service Utilization. (PhD). University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.