Retired Army Lt. Col. John Bechtol understands how important it is for veterans on college campuses to have access to mental health services.
“To come on campus in your mid-20s after having served, having nothing in common with your peers, it tends to generate feelings of separation,” Bechtol said. Even beyond considerations of post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues, “there’s often just this sense of loneliness, a feeling of being disconnected from their classmates.”
As assistant dean of students for veterans’ services at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Bechtol is in a position to do something about it. He works closely with campus mental health providers, and those with Veterans Affairs locally, to ensure that the school’s 550 veteran students and 250 military dependents don’t get lost in the shuffle on the 40,000-student campus.
“To come on campus in your mid-20s after having served, having nothing in common with your peers, it tends to generate feelings of separation,” Bechtol said. Even beyond considerations of post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues, “there’s often just this sense of loneliness, a feeling of being disconnected from their classmates.”
As assistant dean of students for veterans’ services at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Bechtol is in a position to do something about it. He works closely with campus mental health providers, and those with Veterans Affairs locally, to ensure that the school’s 550 veteran students and 250 military dependents don’t get lost in the shuffle on the 40,000-student campus.
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