2 Hours / 2 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Veteran Identity and Mental Health: Initiation into the Military - Part 1 is presented by Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH, MA.

“I didn’t serve. I can’t understand what my Veteran clients went through.” The Veteran Identity and Mental Health training series follows a Veteran through three transition points.

This program takes the audience through the initiation process of a Veteran’s identity shift from civilian life into the military. The remaining programs explore transitions that may occur while in the military -including trauma experiences- and the return to civilian life. Each transition point impacts the Veteran’s identity beyond their service. This includes expectations at each transitional stage of service that, if fulfilled or not, may affect one’s sense of self as a Veteran upon discharge. 

This program provides context on Veteran culture through the lens of the military experience and asks learners to think about the Service Member through experiential exercises to get “comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Broad military-culture-related definitions and terms will be explored through the context of development and identity formation. This unique learning experience offers learners the opportunity to explore their own attitudes and beliefs about the Veterans they work with. 

This program is intended for professionals who work with (or live among) Veterans at any stage of their career and can benefit from the unique perspectives offered in this learning experience.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Demonstrate an understanding of Veteran identity within the context of military culture
  • 2 Describe several reasons why Service Members join the military
  • 3 Describe knowledge of multiple transition challenges from civilian life into the military

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for anyone who works with, supports, or lives with Veterans, regardless of professional background. It is especially relevant for those in mental health, counseling, social work, and related fields, but is also valuable for family members, caregivers, and researchers. The course provides practical knowledge and unique insights that benefit both professionals and those with personal connections to Veterans.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals (counselors, therapists, psychologists)
    • Social Workers and Case Managers
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Staff and Volunteers at Veterans’ Service Organizations
    • Researchers focused on Veteran populations
    • Students in relevant academic programs
    • Family Members and Caregivers of Veterans
    • Anyone who works with or supports Veterans in any capacity

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience working with Veterans.

    • Beginner: Participants new to working with Veterans or military culture, seeking foundational knowledge about Veteran identity, military transitions, and related terminology.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience supporting Veterans, looking to deepen their understanding of military culture, identity formation, and the impact of transitional experiences on mental health.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice occurs in client-facing, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, interdisciplinary settings across civilian and military-affiliated systems, supporting Veterans as they navigate identity shifts into, within, and out of service. Work may be in-person, field-based, or virtual, emphasizing cultural humility for providers—including those who did not serve—while addressing mental health, transition stressors, and reintegration.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • VA and non-VA outpatient mental health and integrated primary care
    • Hospitals, emergency departments, inpatient psychiatry, and residential programs
    • Community-based agencies and Veterans service organizations
    • Campus counseling centers and student support services
    • Homeless outreach, shelters, and supportive housing
    • Courts, diversion programs, and correctional behavioral health
    • Private and group practices, including telehealth
    • Research centers and academic training programs
    • Crisis lines, peer support, and caregiver/home-based support
Presented By

Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH, MA

Dr. Kristen Vescera is a combat Veteran having served overseas in Afghanistan in 2012-2013. She spent ten years enlisted in the United States Army Reserve as a Psychological Operations Staff Sergeant and Instructor. She received her PhD in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University in 2021 where she studied suicide and resilience factors for Service Members and Veterans. She earned her master’s degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating on public mental health, holding certifications in health communication and health education. Dr. Vescera also received a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado Denver. She has published numerous book chapters and articles related to suicide prevention and resilience in multiple settings. She has held a faculty position at the University of Maryland, University College Europe and has engaged in several presentations and lectures around military culture, suicide risk and resilience factors, and other psychological principles. Dr. Vescera is currently working at the Department of Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in Canandaigua, NY as Associate Director of Education focusing on developing, disseminating, and evaluating national training and education programs aimed at preventing and reducing Veteran suicide. 



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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Provide context of Veteran identity and define the difference between military and Veteran culture

  • Discuss reasons why people join the military

  • Discuss enlistment processes

  • Discuss core components of the military

  • Describe basic training (with video support)

  • Describe transition challenges

  • Discuss the context of Veteran identity at this transition stage

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).

Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.