United States Army Col. Jeffrey Yarvis drew from decades of experience in military social work to describe the challenges faced by returning veterans during an information-packed and deeply personnel presentation at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½.

Yarvis is a decorated officer, a published scholar with a doctorate and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He currently serves as chief of the Department of Social Work at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas.

Approximately 75 military veterans, students, and social work alumni and practitioners gathered to hear him speak at theΒ “Subtleties of Trauma Spectrum Disorders” workshop offered Nov. 6 by the and College of Health and Public Affairs Alumni Chapter.

Yarvis shared data and statisticsΒ on U.S. veteran populations, and he showed video clips to illustrate changes in attitudes toward soldiers who are traumatized or grieving. He spoke extensively about theΒ impact ofΒ war-related stressΒ on veterans and their families.

β€œAbout 80 percent of returning veterans will exhibit some changes in behavior,” Yarvis said. β€œThose who are deployed more than once have a greater chance of a clinical diagnosis.”

Some returning veterans experience symptoms commonly associated with traumatic stress, such as fear, anxiety, grief, depression and sleep disturbance. A smaller number exhibit Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which may include physical symptoms and always includes these symptoms: 1) re-experiencing trauma, such as nightmares and flashbacks; 2) avoidance, such as feelings of numbness and detachment; and 3) arousal, such as anger and hypervigilance.

β€œThese are very complex issues for mental health care givers to negotiate,” Yarvis said. β€œIt’s hard to quantitate these symptoms, and they manifest themselves differently in different people.”

Yarvis described his own behavioral changes when he returned home from deployment. He exhibited risky and aberrant behavior,Β became easily frustrated, and turned to alcohol to deal with his insomnia. Several participants said they found his candidness quite helpful.

β€œHe spoke your language,” said ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ student Lyndon Ortiz, a senior in social work and U.S. Marines veteran who served in Iraq until he was injured.

Yarvis is encouraged to see military social work coming into its own as a profession. β€œI love that ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has a military program,” he said, referring to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s program, which prepares master’s degree-level social workers toΒ help veterans and their families.

Social work senior Kristopher Vite plans to enroll in the program while pursuing his master’s degree in social work at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½. He is a U.S. Army veteran, and like Ortiz he served in Iraq until he was injured. Both Vite and Ortiz aim to become Licensed Clinical Social Workers so they can work with veterans like themselves.

U.S. Air Force veteran and ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ alumnus Charlie Antoni (B.S.W., ’95) is already on the front lines, working as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and palliative care coordinator for the Orlando VA Medical Center. He is educating local physicians and nurses, and heΒ is developing networks of community support that heΒ willΒ help placeΒ at the new VA hospital in Lake Nona.

Also on the front lines is U.S. Army veteran Richard Whitten, who works as a peer-support specialist at the Daytona Beach Vet Center. β€œA lot of the homeless vets I meet have PTSD symptoms, but it’s hard to convince them to come in for help,” he said. β€œI’ve learned a lot today that I can take back with me.”

Yarvis concluded his nearly three-hour presentation by commending theΒ participants. β€œWhat you are doing is incredibly important,” he said.Β β€œYou are helping veterans grieve and returnΒ to their lives.”