When our Veteran Transition Managers have an initial conversation with veterans they always ask about their stress level, using a 1-5 scale. The majority of the time the responses are on the high end of the scale, with the average stress level at intake a 4.32.

This level of stress can be induced by various factors, such as urgent financial need, joblessness or cycling in and out of employment, homelessness, disability issues, challenges navigating the VA system, and mental health concerns. At RRRP, we do everything we can to reduce the stress level for the veteran on the other end of the line.

We do this by showing ongoing interest in their struggle and matching them to the best possible resources available to alleviate their situation. We also stay with them until they are connected, checking in along the way, making additional referrals if necessary, advocating and listening as we go.

We’ve found that we were able to reduce stress levels in our clients anywhere between half a point and a point.

As we try to get a deeper sense of the effects of stress on our veterans, we began administering a widely-used standardized questionnaire called the Perceived Stress Scale. It asks about feelings of being able to control things in your life, confidence in your ability to handle personal problems, feelings that things are going your way and about your ability to overcome your difficulties. Results are continuing to come in, and as we analyze them we hope to get deeper information on how we are helping and how we can continue to shape our services to best serve our vets.

RRRP Quote of the Week

“I finally feel like my life is getting back on track. Thank you for everything you and your organization does for us veterans!”