Anthony M. Hassan

The AACC Leadership Competencies: Parallel Views from the Top

This study examined how a group of community college presidents and board of trustee chairpersons from New York and Florida viewed the competencies, characteristics, and professional skills identified by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) (2005) as important for effective community college leadership. In addition, the presidents were asked to identify those activities and experiences that they found helpful in developing the AACC leadership competencies. The results from this study suggest that community college presidents and board of trustee chairpersons converge in their views of the AACC leadership competencies. Their views reveal high expectations for community college presidents and highlight experiences related to the development of these competencies. Practice implications for hiring and developing community college leaders are offered.

Sexual Functioning in Military Personnel: Preliminary Estimates and Predictors

INTRODUCTION Although the military is a young and vigorous force, service members and veterans may experience sexual functioning problems (SFPs) as a result of military service. Sexual functioning can be impaired by physical, psychological, and social factors and can impact quality of life (QOL) and happiness. AIMS This study aims to estimate rates and correlates of SFPs in male military personnel across demographic and psychosocial characteristics, to examine the QOL concomitants, and to evaluate barriers for treatment seeking. METHODS This exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted using data from a larger nationwide study conducted between October 2013 and November 2013. This sample consists of 367 male active duty service members and recent veterans (military personnel) age 40 or younger. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Erectile dysfunction (ED) was determined using the five-item International Index of Erectile Function, sexual dysfunction (SD) was determined using the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale, Male, and QOL was determined using the World Health Organization Quality of Life, Brief. RESULTS SFPs were associated with various demographic, physical, and psychosocial risk factors. The rates of SD and ED were 8.45% and 33.24%, respectively, for male military personnel aged 21-40. Those who were 36-40, nonmarried, nonwhite, and of lower educational attainment reported the highest rates of SFPs. Male military personnel with poor physical and psychosocial health presented the greatest risk for ED and SD. SFPs were associated with reduced QOL and lower happiness, and barriers for treatment were generally related to social barriers. CONCLUSIONS SFPs in young male military personnel are an important public health concern that can severely impact QOL and happiness.

A brief introduction to the military workplace culture

BACKGROUND Military culture and workplace are areas of interest for researchers across disciplines. However, few publications on military culture exist. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to introduce general concepts regarding the structure and culture of the United States Military and discuss how this creates challenges for reintegrating into the civilian world. METHOD Topics that will be covered in this article include an overview of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), socialization to military culture, the unique features of the military as a workplace, the cultural experiences of military personnel reintegrating back into the community, and the challenges faced by military members and their spouses. RESULTS The provided information on military culture will expand military cultural competency so that civilian employers can enhance their ability to create supportive workplaces for veterans and military spouses during times of transition and reintegration. DISCUSSION The unique characteristics of the military culture should be understood by those who work with or plan to work with military populations.

A scope of the problem: Post-deployment reintegration challenges in a National Guard Unit.

BACKGROUND More Reserve and Guard members have been activated in the past few years than in any other time in history. In addition to the high rates of psychological and behavioral challenges among military personnel, there are other equally important post-deployment reintegration challenges. Post-deployment reintegration challenges are particularly important to Reserve and Guard members, who transition rapidly from civilian-military-civilian. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe the scope of challenges that a battalion of National Guard members (NGM) report experiencing after returning from a one-year deployment to Iraq. METHOD This article reports data from a sample of 126 NGM who recently returned from a one-year deployment to Iraq. The scope of post-deployment problems at baseline, 3- and 6-month post-deployment are presented. RESULTS Overall, the rates of post-deployment psychological and behavioral problems were elevated upon returning from deployment and remained fairly constant for up to 6 months post-deployment. Approximately 30% of respondents were unsatisfied with their relationship and upwards of 30% reported family reintegration challenges. CONCLUSIONS Comparisons with similar research and implications for prevention and improvement of post-deployment quality of life are addressed.

Leadership Education and Assessment: A Developmental Approach

The number of leadership education and development programs has increased substantially over the past few decades. However, deliberate assessment strategies aimed at understanding actual student development have not kept pace. The primary reason for this limitation likely involves the challenges that are associated with this type of assessment. When examining leadership one is not only interested in the mere acquisition and retention of knowledge, but the actual application and practice of such knowledge. There are a host of challenges that stand in the way of such assessment. In the present paper we call attention to several of these challenges in an effort to understand what effective leader education assessment could look like. Additionally, we offer two examples of how intentional assessment strategies can be implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of leader education and development.

GUEST EDITORIAL: UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

the evidence is irrefutable. the wars in iraq and afghanistan, which formally began more than 7 years ago, differ in significant respects from previous confrontations. the number and types of injuries, the frequency of deployments, the nature of our military force, the consequences for family life and children, and the conduct of the war itself have combined to create a crisis for our society. the number of surviving service members with permanent disabling injuries surpasses that of any previous modern conflict. in World War ii the survival rate for those suffering physical wounds was 2:1; it is now 8:1 (tanielian & Jaycox, 2008). the invisible wounds of war are even more prevalent. Of the 1.7 million persons sent to battle since 2003, rand corporation estimates that more than 500,000 will develop combat stress disorders ranging from severe anxiety to depression. untreated, these reactions may last a lifetime (tanielian & Jaycox, 2008). the devastating effects of frequent redeployment—a hallmark of this war—are now well-documented. the practice of redeployment has been restricted by congress for national Guard and reservists, but not active duty troops. some war fighters can respond to repeated combat exposure with bravery and resilience; for others, this is not the case. service members subjected to prior trauma, such as family violence in their own lives, are more susceptible, especially if they return to violent lower income neighborhoods following separation from the service. hispanics, women, persons over 40, and reservists are also nearly twice as likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder (Ptsd) and major depression (castaneda et al., 2008; schell & Marshall, 2008). estimates suggest that as many as one third of all women service members have been exposed to military sexual trauma in addition to the normal rigors of service. beyond frequent redeployments, once at war service members have no “front” from which to retreat and recoup. in the streets, hills, and countryside informal explosive devices and snipers are concealed everywhere. the sounds of war are sometimes incessant, creating a lasting form of hypervigilance. service members have no “step-down” Marilyn Flynn University of Southern California

Guest editorial - Introduction to the special issue

This special issue in the Journal of Social Work Education is a forum for professional and scholarly discourse on military social work education initiatives developed to educate and train social work professionals and students for practice with military personnel, veterans, and their families across the micro–macro continuum. Special emphasis was given to educational and technological trends, innovations, and challenges related to educating the next generation of social workers to provide evidence-based services to a new generation of veterans that incorporate the CSWE’s (2010) advanced knowledge and practice behaviors in military social work and NASW’s (2012) practice standards. Additional focus was given to university–community and university–military partnerships, collaborations, and initiatives that involve community and military stakeholders. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and conceptual manuscripts from researchers, educators, and practitioners on military social work education and practice were solicited from the professional social work community. In this special issue we highlight select exemplars of the social work profession’s unique contributions to military social work education. The issue is divided into two sections: (1) discourse on the integration of military social work into professional social work education and (2) innovative military social work education and training programs for doctoral and master’s students, student veterans, and licensed social work professionals—many including program evaluation and other research components. Each section is described in following paragraphs, including a brief overview of representative manuscripts. Integration of Military Social Work Into Professional Social Work Education Four manuscripts highlight military social work as a field of practice requiring specialized knowledge and skills, teaching strategies based on the CSWE competencies and advanced practice behaviors in military social work, the inclusion of military and veteran culture in social work education curricula, and adapting social work field placements for training in military social work practice. Wooten presents a rationale for military social work as a specialized field of practice, the need for military social work education, and opportunities and challenges for professional social work education. She delineates foundation and advanced knowledge in military social work and concludes by proposing an integrated model of intellectual capital to guide strategic planning for professional military social work education in addition to professional infrastructure needed to develop intellectual capital in military social work. For social work educators unfamiliar with military and veteran culture, Daley provides examples of teaching strategies based on CSWE’s advanced practice behaviors in military social work for integration into social work courses, specifically focusing on their application to CSWE’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS; CSWE, 2008). He identifies foundation and advanced year military social work educational goals based on EPAS 2.1.1 to 2.1.10 and suggests that the infusion of military social work across the social work curriculum will assist students and faculty in becoming more sensitive to the issues faced by military service members, veterans, and their families. Continuing the application of CSWE’s EPAS to military social work education, Canfield and Weiss proposes the inclusion of military-related material into the foundation courses of undergraduate and graduate social work education because social workers providing services in civilian settings not focused on military-related difficulties may encounter military personnel, veterans, and families who seek services outside of the DoD and VA. Key issues, military examples, and resources are recommended for the integration of military culture into human behavior in the social environment, generalist practice, research methods, and social policy core curricula. With a focus on field education as the signature pedagogy of social work education, Selber, Chavkin, and Biggs advance a promising field instruction model in military social work with the growing student veteran population on American campuses. This innovative approach to field education expands placement opportunities beyond the VA for professional training in service delivery to current and past military cohorts.

The Role of Service Member Mental Health and Marital Satisfaction in Postdeployment Family Reintegration

ABSTRACT The postdeployment period is critical for National Guard members readjusting to the family unit. This study sought to determine whether marital satisfaction protects against reintegration difficulties. Army National Guard members (N = 114) who recently returned from a 12-month deployment to Iraq completed mental health, marital satisfaction, and family reintegration assessments. Linear and ordinary least squares regression models were used. Although few service members reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder exceeding clinical cutoff points, marital satisfaction significantly moderated the relationship between service member mental health and family reintegration. These findings highlight the potentially protective role of satisfying and supportive marital relationships. Results have implications for the health of service members and well-being of military families after a combat deployment.

Civilian Unemployment and Mental Health: The Moderating Impact of Alcohol Misuse in Returning National Guard

Postdeployment civilian unemployment has become a common problem and source of additional stress for National Guard (NG) personnel. This study evaluated 126 California NG members, exploring the relationship between immediate postdeployment employment status and self-reported mental health symptoms, including evidence of alcohol misuse. Participants were recruited from a NG unit within the first 3 months after returning home in August 2011. Over one-third of participants reported being unemployed beyond the part-time NG commitment. Mental health symptoms were greater in those participants without civilian employment. Additionally, those participants with comorbid alcohol misuse with either depression or post-traumatic stress disorder were significantly more likely to lack civilian employment. Interaction testing revealed a significant interaction between employment status and alcohol misuse for both depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Alcohol use was concluded to moderate the relationship between civilian unemployment and mental health symptoms. Results suggest that the part-time employment provided through NG service may serve as a protective factor in the development of negative psychological outcomes, except for cases where alcohol misuse is present.

Leadership Education and Experience in the Classroom: A Case Study

This paper examines the core academic leader development course at the United States Air Force Academy. The course serves as the foundation for individual leader development that is integrated across all four years of the student’s education. The basic approach uses a self-study where the student selects a current leadership role and that role serves as a common frame of reference for the entire course. Assessment strategies such as self-study, journaling, leadership application exercises are intentionally developed to integrate the classroom education into their leadership role. Through this integration the student is able to apply the leadership education real time as they have a current, relevant context in which to apply the material. Initial response to the course has been positive from both the students and the faculty. Future data collection is planned to determine the actual impact of the experience on relevant leadership outcomes.