University of Iowa offers new help for student veterans with mental health struggles
When Austin Smith enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating high school, he knew he eventually wanted to go to college. Now 26 years old and attending his second year at the University of Iowa, the student veteran said transitioning from military life to college life has been a difficult one.
Going the fast-paced military routine with clear duties and orders to follow, to the completely different atmosphere, pacing and expectations of life as a college student is nowhere near easy, he said, especially when friends are scattered around the world. He’s sought mental health counseling through Veterans Affairs, as he knew the professionals he spoke to there would have military knowledge.
“It’s always kind of hard as a veteran seeking counseling outside of the military, just because it’s so hard to kind of explain what you’ve been through, especially to someone who’s never been in the military or been exposed to the military before,” Smith said.
Smith isn’t alone in this feeling — student veterans at the University of Iowa have voiced the need for a mental health professional who can better meet their needs. Starting this semester, a new embedded counselor in the Iowa Veteran Education, Transition, and Support Office is using his own military service experience to help support students in need.
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Helping veterans adjust to college life
Chuck Xander, a combat veteran with 20 years of experience in mental health counseling, said things have been going well during his first couple of months on campus. He meets with students regularly for one-time sessions and ongoing therapy, helping them work through concerns that can range from struggles with PTSD and addiction to problems at home or in the classroom.
What drew Xander to serving veterans as a counselor was the fact that he hadn’t received any professional mental health services himself. He said he was embarrassed and didn’t think a counselor would understand the military concepts he would be bringing up.
“One of the things that I really preach to the student veterans is that I sit in this chair because I probably should have been in that chair, and I understand that some of those things are hard to talk about,” Xander said.
There are currently 608 veteran and active-military students at the University of Iowa, Xander said, and 1,624 military-connected students. The Iowa Veteran Education, Transition, and Support Office serves as a one-stop shop for veteran and military-connected students on campus, Director of Academic Resources Tara Lamb said. It offers resources for support in transitioning to college, academic aid, financial information and more.
One gap in the center that both students and staff have wanted to fill for a while, however, has been a mental health professional.
“Our student veterans support each other, the professional staff here on campus support our students, but there’s something about … going to a trained professional to get your mental health needs met, and I truly believe that having that in our center is going to be such a huge value to our students, and I can’t wait to see how this program evolves with Chuck at the helm,” Lamb said.
Scanlan Family Foundation grant funds new program
The counselor position was funded by a $15 million gift provided by the Scanlan Family Foundation in 2022 to the College of Education to expand support for mental health services and veterans.
Xander and Lamb are now working to raise awareness about the counselor and his role, and working on outreach to other areas of campus. After Xander settles more into the job and builds a good foundation of what his work should look like, he hopes to expand the mental health services that he and the Iowa Veteran Education, Transition, and Support Office can provide.
“Campus has never had somebody in this role, so (I’m) making sure that everybody knows what (my role) is,” Xander said. “I can help with some education purposes, as well as being the resource for them to maybe guide them to who might be the better option.”
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 16 veterans committed suicide each day in 2020. Smith, as well as a report from America’s Warrior Partnership, say the actual rate is double the government’s figure.
Smith said a lot of the mental health struggles veterans face are due to isolation and the feeling that no one around them could truly understand. The bonds formed between members of the military are unique, as are the feelings and even humor they use to cope. The feeling of being misunderstood that comes along with no longer being in that environment can be detrimental.
Smith himself has felt misunderstood, and entering college life was difficult for him. The support network he found through other veterans on campus has helped him through his struggles, and he said having Xander on campus will hopefully help others like him find an easier path through the changes.
“I would say going to college is even harder than being in the military, so being able to have a support system, and having other veterans, not even necessarily just having a counselor but having other veterans that are going through the same thing as you are, being able to joke around … you still feel like you’re kind of in the military because you feel like you can act your true self, like you don’t have to put up a facade,” Smith said. “I think that’s why counseling is just so important, especially for these military veterans that are transitioning.”
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This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: University of Iowa begins mental health program for student veterans
