How Companies Use Social Impact Programs to Help Transitioning Veterans
Tags: Veterans Day, Veterans, Business, Corporate Responsibility, Social Impact

How Companies Use Social Impact Programs to Help Transitioning Veterans

It’s difficult to transition to civilian life after serving. Here are some organizations working with veterans to ease the process, and how to get involved. RipplEffect Follow Nov 20, 2019 · 4 min read

by Andrea Rice

Transitioning back to a “normal” civilian life isn’t always easy. Many veterans who return to a previous job after a long period away may struggle to adjust to changes in workplace culture. Others attempt to reenter the workforce following a long gap in their resume — while some may have never had a resume at all.

Many retired service members will also experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which affects up to eight percent of the total population in the United States. About 11 to 20 percent of those who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan alone have been diagnosed with PTSD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The VA also reports that 27 percent of those diagnosed with PTSD under Veterans Affairs hospital care will also experience substance abuse. Fortunately alternative healing modalities like yoga and meditation have become widely available to help veterans manage chronic pain, stress, and depression. Today more veterans swap out opioids for Integrative Restoration Yoga Nidra, or “iRest,” a trauma-based practice that focuses on relaxation. Even the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Denver got on board, when its liquor bar was replaced with free yoga classes.

The Light it Up Foundation and the Give Back Yoga Foundation are also known for their mindfulness programs for veterans with PTSD. The Wounded Warrior Project offers mental and physical well-being programs as well as career counseling. The organization has been integral for healing for retired Staff Sergeant Dan Nevins, a veteran turned yoga teacher who served in the U.S. Army during the second war in Iraq, where he lost his legs in an explosion. As Nevins has famously said, “If I could ask you to do anything, it would be to invite a veteran to yoga — it just might save their life.”

From charities to nonprofits to large corporations that donate a portion of their profits to support veterans, there are many organizations that have committed to easing the transition for the country’s retired service members. Here are five of them.

THF is creates coming home programs exclusively for Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Special Operations community. Its process eases the transition between service and employment, from relearning vital communication skills, to developing a clear and concise resume and creating social media platforms, to gaining hands-on, real-world experience at participating companies. When veterans graduate from the program, they’ve done the crucial work to re-acclimate to society and the workforce, and have begun honing their own unique potential.

HHP is a nonprofit that helps veterans cope with residual emotional trauma and PTSD through ayahuasca therapy retreats. After trying other treatments offered by the Department of Veteran Affairs, many veterans will come to Heroic Hearts as a last resort. With professional counseling services available, ayahuasca therapy, as unorthodox as it may seem, is a powerful alternative to addictive medications like opioids, or relying on other coping mechanisms.

According to its website, upwards of 1.5 million transitioning veterans and 5.5 million military spouses are either unemployed or underemployed. Veterati is a virtual mentorship network that connects transitioning veterans with a mentor over the phone. Mentors will offer career advice, and may connect veterans to job opportunities they might not have been exposed to otherwise. If you’re interested in becoming a mentor you can sign up here.

Founded in 2011, this nonprofit participated in some of the first clinical trials of the effects that yoga and meditation therapies could have on veterans at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the VA Medical Centers in D.C. and Miami. The success of these studies led to a growing demand for mindfulness practices to help active duty, retired service members, and their families cope with enduring trauma from combat-related health conditions — both the physical and invisible wounds of war. The Warriors at Ease Teacher Training program gives certified yoga and meditation teachers the necessary trauma-sensitive tools to work with these populations. From specialized retreats to collaborating with veteran students at colleges and universities to conducting mindfulness sessions at VA facilities, Warriors at Ease has become one of the most prominent institutions offering alternative healing modalities for active duty and retired service members.

The renowned energy and snack bar company supports the Farmer Veteran Coalition through a grant that was provided by the Clif Bar Family Foundation. The FVC is a leading nonprofit that assists both veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces to transition to careers in the agriculture industry. Be on the lookout for the “Homegrown by Heroes” label, indicating agricultural products that were farmed by U.S. military veterans.

There are so many ways to include veteran causes in your company’s social impact work. Find out more here.