Together Strong: Peer Simulation for Veterans and Service Members

2016

(For resources, this is the publication date. For programs, this is the date posted.)

Information

Program/Practice
Kognito

The program can be purchased through licensing agreements with sponsor agencies who make the program available to end users at no cost. Cost of the program depends on the population covered in the service area and the length of the license. Contact Kognito for a quote.

See This Resource

Website: https://kognito.com/products/together-strong

Together Strong is a web-based and mobile interactive gatekeeper and re-integration training simulation that prepares veterans or active duty military service members to provide support to one another when confronting challenges such as adjusting to coming back from a deployment or struggling with psychological distress including suicidal ideation. Through hands-on practice engaging in virtual conversations with virtual fully-animated and emotionally responsive veterans and service members, users learn (1) how to identify when a fellow veteran or service member might need peer support, (2) conversation techniques to encourage productive problem-solving, (3) warning signs of psychological distress, and (4) how to refer veterans or service members exhibiting signs of psychological distress including suicidal ideation to appropriate resources. The course takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes to complete, depending on the individual user’s decisions in the course. The course is available in both English and Spanish and can be accessed online and downloaded as a mobile app through the Google Play and Apple App stores.

This course is based on Veteran on Campus: Peer Program. Development was informed by a group of mental health experts and an advisory board of representatives from veteran-focused organizations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, The Soldiers Project, and Single Stop USA. Kognito also conducted several face-to-face focus groups and one-on-one interviews with veterans during the development and as part of the final beta testing.

Program Objectives

Individuals who complete the training will have increased:

  1. Knowledge of warning signs that a fellow veteran is in distress
  2. Motivation to approach a fellow veteran to discuss his/her struggles and to refer him/her to support services.
  3. Knowledge of mental health and crisis resources available to veterans