A group of USC researchers provided expert testimony on the status of California's transitioning veterans in the hope of informing the future work of state legislators during the first informational hearing of the state Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in March. Carl Castro, associate professor and director of the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, led a team of colleagues from the school and community to discuss multiple areas of veteran transition, including employment, housing, health, community engagement and family connectedness. Read more
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Carl Castro, associate professor and director of CIR, discusses what is currently known about the scope of the issue within the military. CIR's research into the topic includes the root causes, numerous myths, and the role that military culture can contribute to sexual assault. In this audio segment, Castro also discusses the importance of supporting victims of sexual assault. Learn more
California is home to almost 2 million veterans and more than 57,000 service members currently serving in the National Guard and Reserve components. Although it has the largest veteran population in the nation and a long history of supporting men and women in service, California still falls in the middle across multiple military- and veteran-friendly state benchmarks.
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Amishi Jha, neuroscientist and associate professor of psychology at the University of Miami, visited CIR to discuss her work on how mindfulness training can improve performance among high-stress cohorts, such as military members. Jha has studied the effects of mindfulness on cognition, emotion and resilience.
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An event honoring the unique lives and sacrifices of children from military families was held earlier this month at the Los Angeles Public Library. In honor of Military Child Month, the event was organized by members of the Los Angeles Veterans Collaborative--Mindful Warrior Project, Operation Family Caregiver, LA Mayor's Office, and LAPL--and offered a variety of activities including puppet shows, face-painting, drum circle and photo booths. Read more
Ron Eo is a Master of Social Work student at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and a COBI Fellow in Social Innovation who spent a semester with CIR full-time. Here, he talks about military life, his decision to attend USC, and the importance of innovation for creating change. Read more
