The "Welcome Home" training
is a four-hour training that has been adapted from "Combat to
Community," an eight-hour instructional course for law
enforcement. Key modifications that have been made to adapt it to
the needs of community college faculty and staff include the
following:
• Training length of 4 hours instead of 8 hours;
• Topics selected and prioritized based on input from
participants in a faculty focus group (vetted through the Statewide
Academic Senate);
• A panel of student Veterans from each campus to
speak about issues specific to their transition from military
life to school, and the readjustment challenges that they may face
that impact their ability to succeed in college;
• A list of referral resources on campus and the community to
assist faculty and staff in supporting student Veterans.
Presenters: The "Welcome Home" curriculum was developed and
delivered by CPT Mike Van Derwood (USMCR) and Dr. David Joseph. CPT
Van Derwood is the Project Manager at Swords to Plowshares and
presents information on military culture, statistics, and student
Veteran transition challenges. The clinical component of the
training was delivered by Dr. David Joseph, a licensed psychologist
who is a consultant for this project. Dr. Joseph specializes in
treating Veterans with combat trauma and military sexual trauma at
the Oakland Vet Center. Student Veterans from each campus also
participate on a panel discussion about their experiences as a
student transitioning from military life.