WASHINGTON (Oct. 8, 2015) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, recently developed a series of free, confidential online tools designed to help service members, veterans and Family members deal with the stresses that can come with life in - and after - military service.
The Online Self-Help Resource Center features online courses designed to be taken anytime, anywhere at the user's choosing. Topics include parenting, stress management and anger management.
Ken Weingardt, who worked at the VA for 15 years and helped design the program, said the courses were created for individuals who are busy and might not be able to take time out of their days for classes. The online capability allows users to be flexible and get the help they need when they can. The lives of transitioning service members, recent veterans and their Families can constantly be in flux, but the courses are meant to help people learn the skills they need to manage those stresses, he said.
"There are a lot of these decisions that are overwhelming," said Weingardt, now associate professor of preventative medicine and psychiatry at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "These courses provide a methodical way of managing stress."
Weingardt said the tools use a variety of features to reach the user, including interactive exercises, videos, games and quizzes, as well as direct language and easily applicable information.
This variety is one thing that sets the courses apart from other self-help materials, he said. For instance, there are videos of veterans reaching out to other veterans from different eras, telling their stories and trying to help them overcome road blocks in their lives.
"The videos are really powerful," Weingardt said.
Veterans or service members with sensory disabilities are also able to use the resources because they're compatible with screen-reading software and other assistive technology.
"One of the things we're proud of about these courses is that folks with visual disabilities or other sensory issues are able to access all of the content," he said. "In our population of veterans, many people have unfortunately suffered some of those disabilities."
And users can take the courses with the safety of complete anonymity.
"People don't have to even identify themselves," he said. "You can just go there and access the information and use it as you see fit."
During the courses' development, representatives from the VA conducted extensive research to determine which issues service members, veterans and their Families wanted to learn more about. And courses are designed to help users effectively implement that information in their daily lives by laying out performance objectives that users should strive to meet when taking them.
"It's not just going to teach you all about something, it's going to teach you how to do things differently," he said. "It's going to teach you how to approach your problems differently, apply a different set of skills and address the problems."
The courses include: Parenting for Service Members and Veterans, which provides practical information on ways to communicate with children, how to discuss deployments and positive discipline methods. Moving Forward: Overcoming Life's Challenges provides tools and skills to effectively solve problems, overcome obstacles and achieve goals. Anger and Irritability Management Skills, or AIMS, teaches the user to identify personal anger triggers and warning signs to better prepare for stressful situations.
Weingardt said the courses are designed specifically for individuals want to fix their problems.
"Not only is this an opportunity for them to help themselves, but if they need to get connected with services, we refer them to the Veterans Crisis Line," he said.
The Veterans Crisis Line is available toll-free at 1-800-273-8225 or at www.veteranscrisisline.net. The tools are not meant to be a solution for somebody in a crisis, who needs immediate help, he said.
"If somebody really needs help right away, the courses will recommend that they reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line ... so that they can get the help that they need," Weingardt said. "It's not intended to be a substitute for critical care."
Related Links:
Anger and Irritability Management Skills
Moving Forward: Overcoming Life's Challenges
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