Coming Home: A Group-Based Approach for Assisting Military Veterans in Transition

Abstract

This study is an evaluation of the Veterans Transition Program, a residential, group-based program designed to assist the transition of military personnel back into Canadian society by aiding with their personal and career readjustment. Participants in the program included 18 male soldiers who experienced varying degrees of combat-related trauma. Standard measures of traumatic stress symptoms, depression, and self-esteem were administered to the participants in addition to participant interviews. The measures were administered before, immediately after, and 3 months post-program. Post-program research interviews were conducted and analyzed using the Critical Incident Technique research approach. An overview of the program is presented, along with research results and recommendations to practitioners working with soldiers experiencing trauma-related stress reactions.