Training in the armed services provides increased confidence and skills that translate to many areas of a person’s life. Our student veterans bring unique strengths to a college campus. However, a number of veterans are presented with different challenges upon beginning or returning to college. Among the unique concerns for student veterans include feeling misunderstood and out of place given different life experiences, adjusting to changes from military to civilian life, and being alone without a sense of camaraderie. Some symptoms that many people struggle with overall, such as:
- having intrusive thoughts from experiencing significantly difficult situations
- trouble focusing or sleeping
- isolation
- increased drinking or drug use
- lacking motivation
- having thoughts of ending your life
The experiences listed above may warrant additional support to help meet the goals and missions student veterans have set out to accomplish. We recognize that seeking support can be difficult and yet developing and maintaining connections with others is an important part of readjusting and coping with the stress of this transition.
Providing support to, and camaraderie among, our student veterans is very important to our campus and we at Counseling & Psychological Services are a piece of the support system available. We house the value of supporting the holistic development of our veterans to assist them in attaining their academic and career goals. Our center has a number of behavioral specialists on staff, many of whom have undergone specialized training in the unique needs of student veterans and the military culture. Our staff provides consultation services to our student veterans to discuss any concerns they may be having and to jointly create a plan of action to address these concerns. If you are interested in scheduling an initial consultation appointment please contact us at 704‑687‑0311.
Our center also runs a discussion group designed specifically for student veterans. Please visit our group schedule page or contact the center for more information.
Counseling & Psychological Services also works closely with other departments and centers on campus who are available to offer support to meet the important needs of student veterans. We know that when student veterans are supported by their colleges and universities, they in fact have higher grades, retention, and graduation rates than those of their peers, as demonstrated by a study in 2011 by Operation College Promise and the Pat Tillman Foundation (Interestingly, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte was among the seven universities chosen for this study). Therefore, a number of offices on campus are here to support the various needs of student veterans and include:
CAMPUS RESOURCES- Veteran Student Services Office – Barnard 103, 704‑687‑5488, veterans.uncc.edu
- Office of Registrar & Veteran Benefits – King 141, 704‑687‑5488, registrar.uncc.edu/VA
- University Center for Academic Excellence – Fretwell 330, 704‑687‑7837
- Military Service Mobile Resources
- LifeArmor App
- Breathe2Relax App
- T2 Mood Tracker App
- PTSD Coach App
- Operation Reach Out (Suicide Prevention) App
- Mecklenberg Veteran Services Office – 700 North Tryon Street 704‑336‑2102
- Operation Homefront – 800‑825‑1097
- NC Outward Bound Society for Veterans
- *More Resources can be found at veterans.uncc.edu