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REBOOT-ing Veterans For Life After the Military

Written by Call of Duty Endowment on July 26, 2010 – 12:42 pm -

CODE was able to interview Advisory Board Member, MCPO Maurice Wilson (USN – Ret.) about his resent new project called REBOOT. This program is designed to prepare military service members for life after the military. REBOOT was recently featured in the San Diego Business Journal and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Keep reading to find out more about this great program!

Tell me a little about the REBOOT program.
The REBOOT program is what we consider to be an innovative approach to helping veterans transition from the service by providing them with a hands on cognitive-behavioral process that helps them develop self-sufficiency after serving. Whereas when they transition out, they are going to be leaving the military support systems and they’re going to be on their own. They’re going to have to learn how to fend for themselves and be their own internal support system. The challenges that we found with a lot of people leaving the service is that they have gotten used to these support mechanisms being in place. So when they get out, those support mechanisms are no longer there and as a result many of them have difficulty getting jobs and staying focused, because a lot of the things that were done in the background such as, food, shelter, pay, health, etc., now they have to take care of themselves. And consequently because we are creatures of habit, many don’t plan for the change and are unprepared for the transition. REBOOT teaches service men and women how to become more prepared, how to goal set, how to go outside their comfort zone, how to change from whatever type of conditioning they’re had to a new model of success and to create a new mission. REBOOT focuses on the inner person, starting with the thoughts and habits they’ve developed that can either help or hurt them. Once they have mastered that, we move them into working with their networks, their family rings, and the people around them that will help them be successful, to finally taking charge of and planning for their new career.

What type of skills will be taught and improved upon during the program?
They are taught specifically the mechanics of how their mind works. One of the questions I often ask when they walk in is, “has anyone read their owner’s manual?” Of course their typical answer is, “no, I didn’t realize I had one”. This is the point REBOOT is trying to make. You can’t really change unless you know how to change yourself. REBOOT gets into how behaviors are formed, how their mind was designed to work in terms of collecting knowledge, information, and experience, storing information, and how they utilize the information to make decisions. REBOOT walks them through a very scientific process of how things work, so by the time the first week of the program is over; they have a very deep understanding of the mechanics of thought; how they think, how they create comfort zones, and what keeps them sane which can be the same thing that inhibits and keeps them from growth. The first week of REBOOT really dives into the psychological aspects of human behavior. During the second week, we build upon that by specifically looking at the family structure, how they form opinions and ideas, and how those opinions shape them for the future. Finally in the third week, REBOOT gets into what type of person they are such as introvert or extroverts so they can look into choosing and planning their new career.

How is the REBOOT program different from other unemployment programs geared towards veterans?
Many of the other programs give veterans a concept but no one sits down with them to go over the process. The REBOOT process is three weeks long; many other programs are less than a week and in some cases, only a few days. The REBOOT program focuses on five transition domains; of employment and career, education, living situation, personal effectiveness/wellbeing, and community-life functioning. Other programs only focus on veterans one domain; employment and career, or just finding a job not realizing that service members need assistance in the other transition domains. REBOOT also addresses issues at their root cause, even going back to behavior of a person before the entered the service. The military is a support system, and when a member leaves the service, their old habits and routines can come back. Thus, we spend a lot of time going back and reconciling the past, being them in touch with the present, and then we focus them on the future. Career and employment is just one of the outcomes we want, but own main focus is changing the person so they can successfully transition their entire life. That is what distinguishes REBOOT from the rest of the programs. We focus on other transition domains, their personal life, their family life, their networks and community. We invest a lot of time into building the better person with the overarching goal of self sufficiency and empowerment.

Will all veterans be served from this type of program?
All service members should experience this on their transition out of the military. The initial comments that we are getting from the individuals that are in the workshops are comments such as, “this is what every service member needs,” “This is valuable to me.” We can see this program being part of their boot camp indoctrination, pre-deployment readiness, and definitely as part of their pre-release preparation as well. As we look at one side of the spectrum, we can see released service members using this program as well as current veterans. Perhaps it could be used as an elective to go along with the required TAP program and depending on how well it is received by local commands, it could become a requirement. It has great potential because it’s really focusing on performance, building a better person, resolving issues at the root cause, and overall could improve retention over all.

How many people are going through the program now?
Right now we have a class of 15 and focus on class sizes not being above 20 people for each workshop. The reason for that is so we can provide the opportunity to” touch them all.” We want to be able to interact with every single attendee, so he or she can have the opportunity to tell his or her story and resolve inner conflicts. Larger class sizes, evident in the education system, don’t bring about the results you want. Smaller class sizes yield a greater success. Because of this, we formulated that the optimum number is 20, even though we can go up to 25, the preference is 20.

Is there a process for selecting veterans to participate in the REBOOT program?
This program is designed for anyone who wants to show up. In the area of Navy Region Southwest, they have put out the REBOOT program to all of the commands and we received a large number of service members from all levels of command electing to participate in the REBOOT program. Our goal is to create energetic workshops that will be promoted by word of mouth from those attending. Participants currently in the program have already discussed it with friends and family.

Will the REBOOT program be offered in other places?
It is our intention to nationalize this program and spread it further. We are currently engaged in a proof of concept which will be conducted June through September, after which we hope to go in to an operational mode. After that, our goal is to continue to promote REBOOT starting at a regional level, then at a state level and finally at a national level. We have already received calls from Florida, Texas, and Norfolk asking to bring REBOOT to their area. No program is worth its salt if you can’t grow it and take it someplace else. REBOOT will not only exist on the West coast. We also want it to not only be part of a national system, but also take it over seas with mobile service teams.

Is there a time frame you would like to have the REBOOT program nationalized by?
Absolutely, we’re in phase one right now which is the four month demonstration process to allow people to experience the program. We expect phase two to kick in sometime in October, where we would have a facility with three or four class rooms, and we’re continuously training multiple tracks of students at the same time at which point we would be ready to ramp up around January or February 2011. We would like to take REBOOT on the road around April or May of 2011.

How has CODE been involved in the REBOOT program?
CODE was an inspiration for the design of the program. As advisory members, Ronne Froman and I realized there was a gap from service members getting out, to receiving assistance from veterans services. A lot of the organizations we looked at as an advisory body, only helped veterans once they’ve hit rock bottom and needed some place to go for recovery. To us, it made more sense to create a process that avoided or prevented the released service members from experiencing these gaps. We have found that service members need a way to “REBOOT” their behavior as well as their skills. So we asked ourselves, “Who is moving these individuals toward independence?” CODE was the spark that got us thinking of solutions and as a result, we think we’ve found the right solution – REBOOT.

REBOOT Workshops™ are a series of cognitive-behavioral educational seminars developed by NVTSI to assist service members, veterans and family members in making a successful social transition from military service to civilian life. Participants will achieve, within their potential, their goals in the transition domains of employment and career, education, living situation, personal effectiveness/wellbeing, and community-life functioning.

About NVTSI: National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. – NVTSI is an emerging San Diego-based 501(c)(3) (pending) organization dedicated to assisting veterans in adjusting to civilian life and secure meaningful employment by combining best-practice performance techniques. The organization was established by a group of retired high ranking Naval and Marine Corps officers and workforce development professionals who seek to fill a tremendous gap in the continuum of veteran services.

To learn more contact:
Maurice D. Wilson, MCPO, USN (RET)
President/National Executive Director
National Veterans Transition Services, Inc.
1220 Rosecrans Street, Suite 315
Wk: 866-535-7624
Cell: 619-602-2577
Email: Maurice@nvtsi.org
Web: http://www.nvtsi.org/
Web: http://www.TheVetWork.net/

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Latest News Launch Event Recent Grants Media Kit Press Releases Blog Post	REBOOT-ing Veterans For Life After the Military Written by Call of Duty Endowment on July 26, 2010 – 12:42 pm - CODE was able to interview Advisory Board Member, MCPO Maurice Wilson (USN – Ret.) about his resent new project called REBOOT. This program is designed to prepare military service members for life after the military. REBOOT was recently featured in the San Diego Business Journal and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Keep reading to find out more about this great program! Tell me a little about the REBOOT program. The REBOOT program is what we consider to be an innovative approach to helping veterans transition from the service by providing them with a hands on cognitive-behavioral process that helps them develop self-sufficiency after serving. Whereas when they transition out, they are going to be leaving the military support systems and they’re going to be on their own. They’re going to have to learn how to fend for themselves and be their own internal support system. The challenges that we found with a lot of people leaving the service is that they have gotten used to these support mechanisms being in place. So when they get out, those support mechanisms are no longer there and as a result many of them have difficulty getting jobs and staying focused, because a lot of the things that were done in the background such as, food, shelter, pay, health, etc., now they have to take care of themselves. And consequently because we are creatures of habit, many don’t plan for the change and are unprepared for the transition. REBOOT teaches service men and women how to become more prepared, how to goal set, how to go outside their comfort zone, how to change from whatever type of conditioning they’re had to a new model of success and to create a new mission. REBOOT focuses on the inner person, starting with the thoughts and habits they’ve developed that can either help or hurt them. Once they have mastered that, we move them into working with their networks, their family rings, and the people around them that will help them be successful, to finally taking charge of and planning for their new career. What type of skills will be taught and improved upon during the program? They are taught specifically the mechanics of how their mind works. One of the questions I often ask when they walk in is, “has anyone read their owner’s manual?” Of course their typical answer is, “no, I didn’t realize I had one”. This is the point REBOOT is trying to make. You can’t really change unless you know how to change yourself. REBOOT gets into how behaviors are formed, how their mind was designed to work in terms of collecting knowledge, information, and experience, storing information, and how they utilize the information to make decisions. REBOOT walks them through a very scientific process of how things work, so by the time the first week of the program is over; they have a very deep understanding of the mechanics of thought; how they think, how they create comfort zones, and what keeps them sane which can be the same thing that inhibits and keeps them from growth. The first week of REBOOT really dives into the psychological aspects of human behavior. During the second week, we build upon that by specifically looking at the family structure, how they form opinions and ideas, and how those opinions shape them for the future. Finally in the third week, REBOOT gets into what type of person they are such as introvert or extroverts so they can look into choosing and planning their new career. How is the REBOOT program different from other unemployment programs geared towards veterans? Many of the other programs give veterans a concept but no one sits down with them to go over the process. The REBOOT process is three weeks long; many other programs are less than a week and in some cases, only a few days. The REBOOT program focuses on five transition domains; of employment and career, education, living situation, personal effectiveness/wellbeing, and community-life functioning. Other programs only focus on veterans one domain; employment and career, or just finding a job not realizing that service members need assistance in the other transition domains. REBOOT also addresses issues at their root cause, even going back to behavior of a person before the entered the service. The military is a support system, and when a member leaves the service, their old habits and routines can come back. Thus, we spend a lot of time going back and reconciling the past, being them in touch with the present, and then we focus them on the future. Career and employment is just one of the outcomes we want, but own main focus is changing the person so they can successfully transition their entire life. That is what distinguishes REBOOT from the rest of the programs. We focus on other transition domains, their personal life, their family life, their networks and community. We invest a lot of time into building the better person with the overarching goal of self sufficiency and empowerment. Will all veterans be served from this type of program? All service members should experience this on their transition out of the military. The initial comments that we are getting from the individuals that are in the workshops are comments such as, “this is what every service member needs,” “This is valuable to me.” We can see this program being part of their boot camp indoctrination, pre-deployment readiness, and definitely as part of their pre-release preparation as well. As we look at one side of the spectrum, we can see released service members using this program as well as current veterans. Perhaps it could be used as an elective to go along with the required TAP program and depending on how well it is received by local commands, it could become a requirement. It has great potential because it’s really focusing on performance, building a better person, resolving issues at the root cause, and overall could improve retention over all. How many people are going through the program now? Right now we have a class of 15 and focus on class sizes not being above 20 people for each workshop. The reason for that is so we can provide the opportunity to” touch them all.” We want to be able to interact with every single attendee, so he or she can have the opportunity to tell his or her story and resolve inner conflicts. Larger class sizes, evident in the education system, don’t bring about the results you want. Smaller class sizes yield a greater success. Because of this, we formulated that the optimum number is 20, even though we can go up to 25, the preference is 20. Is there a process for selecting veterans to participate in the REBOOT program? This program is designed for anyone who wants to show up. In the area of Navy Region Southwest, they have put out the REBOOT program to all of the commands and we received a large number of service members from all levels of command electing to participate in the REBOOT program. Our goal is to create energetic workshops that will be promoted by word of mouth from those attending. Participants currently in the program have already discussed it with friends and family. Will the REBOOT program be offered in other places? It is our intention to nationalize this program and spread it further. We are currently engaged in a proof of concept which will be conducted June through September, after which we hope to go in to an operational mode. After that, our goal is to continue to promote REBOOT starting at a regional level, then at a state level and finally at a national level. We have already received calls from Florida, Texas, and Norfolk asking to bring REBOOT to their area. No program is worth its salt if you can’t grow it and take it someplace else. REBOOT will not only exist on the West coast. We also want it to not only be part of a national system, but also take it over seas with mobile service teams. Is there a time frame you would like to have the REBOOT program nationalized by? Absolutely, we’re in phase one right now which is the four month demonstration process to allow people to experience the program. We expect phase two to kick in sometime in October, where we would have a facility with three or four class rooms, and we’re continuously training multiple tracks of students at the same time at which point we would be ready to ramp up around January or February 2011. We would like to take REBOOT on the road around April or May of 2011. How has CODE been involved in the REBOOT program? CODE was an inspiration for the design of the program. As advisory members, Ronne Froman and I realized there was a gap from service members getting out, to receiving assistance from veterans services. A lot of the organizations we looked at as an advisory body, only helped veterans once they’ve hit rock bottom and needed some place to go for recovery. To us, it made more sense to create a process that avoided or prevented the released service members from experiencing these gaps. We have found that service members need a way to “REBOOT” their behavior as well as their skills. So we asked ourselves, “Who is moving these individuals toward independence?” CODE was the spark that got us thinking of solutions and as a result, we think we’ve found the right solution – REBOOT. REBOOT Workshops™ are a series of cognitive-behavioral educational seminars developed by NVTSI to assist service members, veterans and family members in making a successful social transition from military service to civilian life. Participants will achieve, within their potential, their goals in the transition domains of employment and career, education, living situation, personal effectiveness/wellbeing, and community-life functioning. About NVTSI: *National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. –* NVTSI is an emerging San Diego-based 501(c)(3) (pending) organization dedicated to assisting veterans in adjusting to civilian life and secure meaningful employment by combining best-practice performance techniques. The organization was established by a group of retired high ranking Naval and Marine Corps officers and workforce development professionals who seek to fill a tremendous gap in the continuum of veteran services. To learn more contact: Maurice D. Wilson, MCPO, USN (RET) President/National Executive Director National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. 1220 Rosecrans Street, Suite 315 Wk: 866-535-7624 Cell: 619-602-2577 Email: Maurice@nvtsi.org Web: http://www.nvtsi.org/ Web: http://www.TheVetWork.net/ Posted in code \| No Comments » Post a Comment Name (required) E-mail (will not be published) (required) Website

REBOOT-ing Veterans For Life After the Military

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