Returning to the U.S. with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder and extensive hearing loss left 27-year-old Army Sgt. Josh Geltz feeling somewhat out of place during his first semester at SIUC last spring.

After serving eight years in the Army, the Iraq War veteran thought he could do it all on his own. Nonetheless, bouts of anxiety, flashbacks from various military experiences and general day-to-day stresses soon began to take a toll on Geltz’s grades and marriage.

One trying semester later, Geltz now finds himself seeking assistance from SIUC’s Disability Support Services, that provides academic and programmatic support services to students with both permanent and temporary disabilities.

Many services offered by D.S.S. are especially beneficial to veterans with disabilities, including those with “invisible” disabilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, arthritis and various other mental and physical handicaps.

Numerous state-of-the-art mechanisms are available for student use, including alternative textbooks, assistive hearing devices and adapted computer equipment and software. In addition, test proctoring allows students extended exam time along with reading and writing assistance. D.S.S. also provides referral services for veterans with disabilities, ranging from medical and counseling services to specialized housing and recreational options, among others.

Despite the many services available to disabled veterans, D.S.S. Director Kathleen Plesko sees a need for intensive intervention. Plesko said she hopes to employ a transition program for incoming Illinois veterans with service-connected disabilities from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. According to a grant proposal for the program, it would help veterans with recently acquired disabilities gain the skills and confidence needed to make a successful transition from military life to a postsecondary setting.

Program objectives include registering for classes, making housing arrangements, campus tours and various other activities in order to alleviate some of the stresses students might face during their first semester on campus. If the grant is approved, Plesko said she hopes to begin the program during the summer of 2008.

John Lynn, assistant dean of the law school, said he hopes to work with D.S.S. on the transition program. Lynn, who is a veteran of the Vietnam War, said SIUC has been a veteran-friendly university for as long as he can remember.

“Back then, SIU had a reputation within the state and within the service for recruiting vets, despite all of the stuff you read about,” Lynn said.

Geltz said he hoped other veterans would take advantage of the services offered by D.S.S.

“I do encourage veterans not to be headstrong, not to try to conquer everything by themselves,” Geltz says. “There is no negative stigma about it. They served their country and are entitled to these benefits. Nobody will think anything less of them.”

Disability Support Services is located in Woody Hall B-150. Further information can be found at www.siu.edu/~dss/ or by calling 618-453-5738 (voice) or 618-453-2293 (TTY).

Daily Egyptian writer Ashley McRaven can be reached at 536-3311 ext 254 or [email protected].