Enlisted service members' transition into the civilian world of work: a cognitive information processing approach.

Occupational knowledge is stored as declarative (i.e., factual) knowledge (e.g., military police maintain order on U.S. Army posts), and schemas serve as a means for organizing this declarative knowledge (Eggen & Kauchak, 2003). The development of occupational knowledge consists of two primary processes: schema generalization and schema specialization (Peterson et al., 2002). Schema generalization involves connecting specific occupations to more abstract work-related constructs. For example, military police are like lawyers because they work together to maintain law and order. Schema specialization is the converse of schema generalization (Peterson et al., 2002); information becomes more specific. For example, Garrison Military Police serve as law enforcement on bases, whereas Line Military Police are combat trained and deployable. The occupational knowledge base includes what clients know about careers and is developed through education and research. Ideas generated through previous work experience, education or training, self-knowledge assessments, and client self-report should direct the exploration and development of occupational knowledge (Zunker & Norris, 1998).

Decision-Making Skills and the CASVE Cycle

In CIP, the CASVE cycle serves as a basis for assisting clients with decision making (Peterson et al., 2002; Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, & Reardon, 1992). CASVE is an acronym for five stages: communication, analysis, synthesis, valuing, and execution (Peterson et al., 2002; Sampson et al., 1992). The communication stage involves articulating the gap or career problem and includes focus on external demands as well as internal affective, behavioral, and psychological states. For example, in this stage, someone might say, "I just cleared the army. I am overwhelmed because I don't know where I want to live or what kind of job I can do." The analysis stage consists of developing or expanding self- and occupational knowledge. Next, the synthesis stage is the "elaboration [and] crystallization" (Peterson et al., 2002, p. 325) of occupation alternatives. Clients expand their list of potential avenues for work or additional training then narrow their focus to a reasonable number of alternatives. The valuing stage includes the evaluation of alternatives, determining viability of potential options, and prioritizing career opportunities. During this stage, clients carefully attend to how their values interact with career choices. Finally, the execution stage involves generating an action plan for closing the gap and pursuing clients' first choice toward career development and their desired lifestyle. The CASVE cycle is often executed through the development and implementation of an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), which is discussed in more detail later.

Peterson et al. (2002) structured the implementation of the CIP paradigm in a seven-step delivery sequence. The following case study demonstrates the application of CIP to a client transitioning out of the U.S. Army and experiencing a career problem.

Application of CTP to an Enlisted Soldier

Step 1: Initial Interview

Alex is a 27-year-old White man from a rural area of North Carolina who pursued career counseling at a local university. The first step of the CIP approach was an initial interview, during which Alex described his educational history as "having problems in high school" and earning a general equivalency diploma. He attended junior college for 1 year. He smiled and indicated snowboarding was more fun than class, with the exception of a psychology class. Many of the men in Alex's extended family served in the armed forces, and the early recollections described previously are a few of Alex's memories. Alex enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2000 because the job was more stable than his current commission-based sales position.

Alex served in a Line Military Police Company (combat-trained and deployable law enforcement). He indicated that he worked on cases including drug dealing, rape, murder, and suicide. He also was trained in tactical and combat maneuvers and served one 6-month tour in Iraq shortly before clearing the U.S. Army. Alex earned 13 college credits through Military Police School. Alex's years of service totaled 6.5. The last 6 months was his tour in Iraq.

Alex completed the preseparation counseling checklist prior to his tour in Iraq, and he accepted some of the transitional services offered. He recalled being presented with some phone numbers to call for career services workshops as well as information about how he could apply his training to the civilian police force. Upon returning from Iraq, however, Alex was overwhelmed by the combination of readjusting to the Western world, being served with divorce papers as he stepped off the plane, and having only 30 days to clear the U.S. Army. Alex described his life as entirely different from when he left 6 months earlier. Alex reported feeling unable and unready to use the U.S. Army's career-related resources, stating, "I just needed time to clear my head."

Alex indicated that he did not fully realize the psychological effects of service in wartime until he was out of the army. He thought he was OK, but then flashbacks and nightmares began to infiltrate his days and nights. Being alone was particularly difficult, and Alex reported spending hours at the mall just to be around people. Sudden noises or sharp movements, however, produced significant anxiety. Alex indicated that few people understood what it was like to transition from being with other soldiers 24 hours a day for 6 months to living alone and dealing with the memories of a war experience.

Alex described with an angry tone the gap between where he was 6 months after he left the army and where he hoped to be. He indicated feeling frustrated that he gave so much to the U.S. Army and has so little upon returning to civilian life. His marriage had dissolved because of his wife's affair and with it much of the financial security he expected. Furthermore, Alex developed skills in the army, but the effects of using those skills in wartime have led to flashbacks that may prevent him from transferring those skills into a civilian setting. Alex wanted a career that is "stable, intellectual, and honorable." He was not just looking for "a paycheck today" but rather stability "down the road." Alex's problem space included not only the deficits in his occupational life but also the loss of stability associated with a marital relationship.

Step 2: Preliminary Assessment

The second step in implementing the CIP approach is the preliminary assessment, which integrates the initial interview with a readiness for career decision making (Peterson et al., 2002; Sampson, Peterson, Reardon, & Lenz, 2000). Although Alex touched on a myriad of potential counseling-related needs (e.g., war-related exposure to traumatic events, separation from wife), Litz and Orsillo (2004) recommended that counselors focus on the immediate needs and psychosocial functioning of the client first and address trauma exposure later in the counseling process. The counselor assessed Alex for suicidal or homicidal ideation, and he denied having suicidal or homicidal thoughts. Alex was hesitant to seek professional help for the psychological impact of his experience because of its potential influence on future employment. He expressed fear that if he has documented flashbacks, he might not be allowed to carry a gun if he decided to transition from military law enforcement into civilian law enforcement. "Maybe disability pays well because we can't get a good job ... after seeing your best friend killed and people mutilated in front of you." Alex adamantly stated, however, that he did not want to be on disability and that he wanted to pursue a new career.

The counselor followed Alex's lead and redirected the focus of the session to career-specific needs. The counselor encouraged Alex to take the Career Thoughts Inventory (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996). The screening aspect of this career readiness assessment in combination with clinical judgment helped the counselor to determine the level of support Alex needed (Sampson et al., 2000). Alex's readiness assessment results indicated that even though he is likely capable of making career decisions, his complex set of life circumstances place him in the category of needing moderate support (Sampson et al., 2000). Moderate, or brief staff-assisted, services typically involve counselor-guided use of assessments, exposure to career exploration resources, the development of an ILP, group counseling, and workshops such as resume writing (Sampson et al., 2000). The counselor determined that although Alex might be able to use many of the career resources with only moderate support, Alex's mental health needs and complex transition suggested that he might benefit from greater support, and he was assigned to individual case management services. Individual case management still allowed Alex to work independently or in groups on some tasks but provided practitioner continuity that the brief staff-assisted services would not (Sampson et al., 2000).

Step 3: Define Problem and Analyze Causes