Self-Assessment of Need for Assistance with Transition to Civilian Life

Abstract: Military-to-civilian transition (MCT) is a challenging process to some degree for all military members, veterans (former members), and their families. Some might need prompting to seek specialized MCT supports, while others might need reassurance that they will do well with usual services. This chapter describes a tool for self-assessing need to seek MCT support services. The tool comprises 12 well-being statements, two for each of six well-being domains: employment or other purposeful activity, finances, health, life skills and preparedness, social integration, and housing. Users score themselves into one of three categories for each statement: should be good to go (green), think about it (yellow), and consider seeking assistance (red). The tool can be adapted for various transition support systems and cultural contexts. The tool can be distributed in print or electronic media to serving members, veterans, family members, and others to promote timely decisions about seeking transition supports specific to their needs.