title: US Religious Congregations' Programming to Support Veterans: A Mixed Methods Study.
abstract: Religious congregations may be well equipped to address veterans' reintegration needs, but little is known about the prevalence and nature of such support. We conducted a mixed methods study using nationally representative congregational survey data and in-depth interviews with congregational leaders. Overall, 28% of congregations nationally reported having programming to support veterans and positive, independent predictors included: community context (county veteran presence, high-poverty census tract, rural compared to urban location); congregational resources (more adult attendees, having a paid employee that spent time on service programs); and external engagement (assessing community needs, collaboration, and social service participation). Qualitative interviews revealed a range of activities, including attending to spiritual issues, supporting mental, physical and social well-being, and addressing vocational, legal, financial, and material needs.
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St, PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA, 90407-2138, USA. derose@rand.org.
authors.forename: Kathryn Pitkin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7742-6024
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Derose
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St, PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA, 90407-2138, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Werber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans
keywords: Mental health; Pastoral care; Religious congregations; Social services; Veterans