FEATURE

The ground-breaking research on local veteran transition challenges conducted by the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families will now be able to help veterans outside of Southern California thanks to a $316,000 grant aimed at replicating the study in Chicago. Funded by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and in partnership with Loyola University Chicago, the Chicagoland Veterans Study will provide local leaders and philanthropists with valuable, detailed data on the needs of their military population. It also will provide researchers an opportunity to further validate what they've discovered as the biggest pressing needs facing all U.S. veterans -- regardless of location. Read more

NEWS

Military children at higher risk for drug use, being bullied and bringing weapons to school

A new study from USC School of Social Work and Israel shows that children from military families are at greater risk for numerous negative outcomes compared to their nonmilitary peers. Published in JAMA Pediatrics, this is the largest and most comprehensive study on military-connected children using the California Department of Education's California Healthy Kids Survey. Read more

New book tackles sexual trauma in military

A new book by Kristen Zaleski, USC School of Social Work clinical assistant professor, provides historical and cultural context, along with recommended changes to policy and clinical practice, to help stem the epidemic of sexual trauma in the military. Believed to be the first social work text to address the topic, Understanding and Treating Military Sexual Trauma aims to fill a gap in resources Zaleski noticed while treating veterans. Read more

Giving a hand up for veterans

Judith Wolfe, MSW '87, made a gift to CIR because she is passionate about what happens to veterans when they return home. While a student at the USC School of Social Work, Wolfe interned with the Veterans Administration. She knows that transition services focusing on mental health, family and homelessness need further attention. "It's not that we want to give handouts; we want to give a hand up," she said. Read more

Study to assess practitioners' skills

CIR is currently seeking mental- and behavioral-health providers to help develop an assessment tool for Cognitive Processing Therapy skills. Licensed practitioners with CPT/CPT-C training and at least two years of experience are eligible. This project is part of a Department of Defense study exploring whether technology can help clinicians stay faithful to an evidence-based practice that treats post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn more