Veterans Transition Program

Members of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs visited the Faculty of Education at UBC on Dec. 12 to learn about the Veterans Transition Program. Four Members of Parliament and several staff members received an overview of the program and had the opportunity to meet and hear from veterans who had served overseas and had personally benefited from the program.

Established in 1999, with funding exclusively from the BC/Yukon Command of The Royal Canadian Legion, the Veterans Transition Program is a group-based program developed at UBC by psychologists and medical experts to help men and women returning from military service transition to productive civilian life. The program is facilitated by Marvin Westwood, professor in UBC’s Faculty of Education, Dept. of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, and Dr. David Kuhl, an associate professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine.

Over 200 veterans have participated in the program to date, all of whom reported benefits. Recent and ongoing research has shown reduced trauma symptoms, decreased depression and increased self-esteem.

For more information, visit: http://educ.ubc.ca/newsandinfo/foe-news