Veterans Workshop 
Veterans Identity on Campus 

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Summary: How can we help our Veteran students be better connected and more informed about the services we have available for them? This Veterans Workshop has just that. It will feature an interactive keynote given by Dr. Thiede from Cincinnati's VA Medical Center, and a best practices panel; to help campus professionals develop or enhance their programming and services for military-connected students. 

We are delighted that the Union Institute and University will serve as the host institution for this event.

The number of veteran students that we serve day to day is growing substainstially. We need to ensure we make this transition to college the most beneficial and smooth as it can be. This workshop will give us a chance to connect and see what other institutions are doing, as well as, celebrate what we do well and discuss what we could do better to make the students feel connected and a part of something.

VHA Resources to Support Well-Being and Academic Success

Summary: While recent estimates indicate that more than half of the Veterans enrolled in higher education will earn degrees or certificates, a significant number of student Veterans will experience challenges in their academic work related to military-service related conditions and disabilities. In particular, during the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, many Service members have been exposed to situations that place them at risk for physical and psychiatric injury, including blast exposures. Such exposure can lead to psychiatric and cognitive injuries including posttraumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to sensory disorders such as auditory impairments (AI) and visual impairments (VI).  While experiencing any one of these conditions can make reintegrating into an academic setting challenging, it is common for injured Veterans to be diagnosed with multiple conditions.

It is a high priority to ensure that VHA is adequately addressing the often-multifaceted nature of post-deployment injuries and disabilities. Dr. Jessica Theide will spend her keynote discussing the need to provide outreach. She will has review the many ways the VA has attempted to address logistical barriers to academic success and continue to support veterans overall well-being. 

Bio: Dr. Thiede completed her post-doctoral specialization in the Postraumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorder Division of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC), and spent 5 years in the Iraq and Afghanistan Post-Deployment, Primary Integrated Care Clinic, at CVAMC as the lead psychologist. Her previous clinical work has taken place in forensic, primary care, university counseling centers, and assessment centers. Dr. Thiede’s clinical work has focused on trauma, co-morbid conditions and adjustment. Her research interests include adjustment post-trauma, learning and attention, the impact of patient-provider relationships on health and well-being, program development, and integrated delivery of health care. She has a strong commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration, and has been a part of several committees and organizations to improve patient care. She has trained students, interns and psychiatry residents in the areas of consultation, diagnostic assessment and delivery of evidence-based therapies (EBT).

Dr. Thiede maintains a private practice in Cincinnati, OH where she provides psychotherapy and assessment services with a specialization in PTSD and other Anxiety Disorders. In 2011 she co-wrote a grant and was awarded national funding to develop programing for student Veterans returning from combat and pursuing higher education. Dr. Thiede is now serving as the Cincinnati VA’s Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) Consultant and Liaison to eight universities in the greater Cincinnati area. She is also the National Clinical Chair for VITAL and serves on the National Research Committee. Dr. Thiede has presented at state and national conferences on VTIAL, campus safety, Military Culture, post-deployment adjustment and trauma.