Increasing resilience and reducing the impact of trauma across the lifespan

Mitchell Cass left the army in 2015 after completing a four-year term, but emerged not knowing what to do next, and says he “fell into carpentry” as a means of paying the bills. “I left the army without any necessary skills or qualifications, so I found myself trapped in a job I didn’t enjoy,” says Mitchell. “Like many young guys who come out of the military, I hadn’t completed Year 12 studies, so I initially didn’t even consider that university was an option.”

His ideas changed after he learned about MAPP via a Facebook advertisement, and says that investigating the program opened his thinking to new academic possibilities.

“MAPP provided me with belief in myself, and made it clear to me that a university education was achievable,” he says.

The 31-year-old is now in his first year of studying a Bachelor of Arts at Flinders, majoring in Psychology and Criminology, with an aim of graduating and replicating work similar to what MAPP provides. “I really want to help people transition from Defence to other meaningful employment or education, because now I can see great value in that.”

The numbers of Australian veterans requiring assistance to pursue future careers are significant. The Australian Defence Force currently has about 59,000 continuous full-time personnel, about 20% being women, and the number of veterans who have served overseas in a war or war-like zone since 1999 is about 50,000.

“Many of these veterans are the first in their families to attend university and often do not have a Year 12 qualification for a traditional pathway to university,” explains Professor Ben Wadham, who is also a veteran and Director of Open Door research initiative, part of Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

“MAPP draws upon their service skills and experience, and introduces them to academic staff and the university support services in place, to help them connect with the Flinders community.”

Professor Wadham drives the MAPP initiative with the benefit of personal experience and insight, having served in Australia’s regular army from 1987-1992, in the infantry then military police, before he commenced university studies.

To ensure a strong transition path for younger veterans embarking on university programs, study and lifestyle support includes access to expertise in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health, and drug and alcohol support.

MAPP is also generating new research into the transition of veterans to higher education, identifying both the blockers and enablers for younger veterans to enter tertiary study. This is helping to develop improved pathways to tertiary study for transitioning veterans that can be applied nationally and contributes to policy within Defence and for other universities in Australia – achievements which have seen MAPP recognised with nominations for Defence Industry Awards in 2020 and 2021.