Disability Services Liaisons

Help Peers Connect to Campus Resources

Student Veterans of America® (SVA) has partnered up with Wounded Warrior Project and Paralyzed Veterans of America to expand the Disability Service Liaison program. DSLs are student veterans who help their peers connect to campus resources that are underutilized due to a lack of information during transition.

DSLs complement existing services by understanding the climate and culture unique to each campus, then using peer mentorship to connect fellow student veterans. It’s an instinctive, familiar learning method that builds community and normalizes the help-seeking behavior of veterans. Some of the benefits of having a DSL are: campuses get an effective, no-cost veteran outreach program; DSLs get a servant leadership opportunity that can be funded by the VA workstudy program; and those served by the DSL get connected to important services that augment success.

This program is powered in part by Wounded Warrior Project® to honor and empower post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families.

1. Initial steps to implement a DSL on your campus:

• Identify a student veteran with a VA disability rating, who has a disability recognized by your school.
• Download and review the DSL Toolkit.

2. Campus coordination:

• Coordinate with Disability Services on your campus.
• Collect baseline aggregate data on the number of student veterans registered with Disability Services (may not be available).
• Create the VA workstudy position description using the template found in the DSL Toolkit.
• Identify reporting structure, such as a workstudy supervisor.
• Create an outreach plan that spans two semesters.

3. Implementation:

• Stay in touch by sending us an email at [email protected] and connect with DSLs on campuses across the country.
• Consult with SVA as needed.
• Help other campuses establish a DSL by sharing your experience and helpful tips.
• Look for your replacement, so you can pass the torch when it’s time for you to move on.