Veteran Training

Parenting for Veterans is an updated version of the Parenting for Service Members and Veterans Course. The updated version was built by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providing a free online site for military and Veteran parents with information and strategies to improve their parenting skills. The original course was built by the VA Mental Health Services in partnership with the Department of Defense National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) as part of a coordinated public health initiative to help Veterans and Service Members who are having difficulties.

We gratefully acknowledge our Partner Organizations for their generous contributions to the development of this program:

Updated Website

VHA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention aims to ensure that all Veterans have access to needed mental health care and advances the principle that mental health care is an essential component of overall health care.

Original Course

• The National Center for Telehealth and Technology |T2| researches, develops, evaluates, and deploys new and existing technologies for Psychological Health (PH) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) across the Department of Defense (DoD). The center’s mission was transferred to the Defense Health Agency in 2018.
• The National Center for PTSD aims to help U.S. Veterans and others through research, education, and training on trauma and PTSD.
• VA's National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention keeps Veterans well and well informed with news and information on health and wellness.
• VA VISN 3 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center’s (MIRECC) mission is to investigate the causes and treatments of serious mental illness to enhance the recovery of veterans. The center’s mission is now under the MIRECC Center of Excellence.
• VA’s Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center applies modern research methodology to the discovery and development of new and more effective treatments for mental disorders afflicting Veterans and the Active Duty combat personnel who will become Veterans.
• The Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) trains military and civilian behavioral health professionals to provide high-quality deployment related behavioral health services to military personnel and their families.
• VA Caregiver Support promotes the health and well-being of family Caregivers who care for our nation's Veterans, through education, resources, support and services.

• Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K.D.(2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology, 5, 323-371.
• Cozza, S.J. FOCUS-CI: A Preventative Intervention with Children and Family of the Combat Injured. Unpublished research. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
• National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. (n.d.). Military Family Projects. Retrieved from Zero to Three website http://www.zerotothree.org
• Sherman, M.D., Bowling, U., & Anderson, J., & Wyche, K. (2011). Veteran Parenting Toolkit. South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) and Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Oklahoma City, OK. www.ouhsc.edu/VetParenting

Shore, P., Murphy, P., Lai, W.P. & Weingardt, K.R. (2013). Parenting for Service Members and Veterans (Version 1.0). [Web-based self-help course]. Retrieved from https://www.veterantraining.va.gov/apps/veteranparenting/version1/index.html

Greene, C., Fenstermacher, S., & Petty, K. (2020). Parenting for Veterans (Version 2.0). [Web-based self-help course]. Retrieved from https://www.veterantraining.va.gov/apps/veteranparenting/index.html.

• Speakers are recommended, but transcripts and closed captioning are provided for those without these items and for the hearing impaired.
• Headphones are optional.
• A microphone is not needed.

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