Peer Support Technician at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System
Army Rifleman helps veterans battle depression as peer a counselor for VA Healthcare.
by Warren Duffie

Jumping from a military to civilian career can be intimidating and stressful. For Jeff Reardon, it was downright depressing – literally. Terrified by an uncertain future, the 23-year Army veteran plunged into an abyss of depression and anxiety.

“I had suffered from depression for about 15 years,” says the former sergeant first class. “When I got out in 2005, it really came to a head. I didn’t know where I would live or what I would do for a living. Losing the stability provided by the military really scared me.”

So Reardon relocated to Florida to seek treatment at the VA center on MacDill Air Force Base. While successfully overcoming his condition, Reardon heard of a new position being created within the VA – a peer support technician, someone charged with helping veterans beat depression.

He knew immediately this was the job he wanted and began networking with the center’s higher-ups to secure an interview. Within a year, he was hired to work for the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in the Tampa Bay area.

“The VA wanted someone who had recovered from depression and anxiety, who could help veterans fighting the same battles,” Reardon says. “It’s truly rewarding work, and I love being able to reach out to fellow veterans.”

Helping Fellow Veterans
The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System has been providing care since 1933. Its healthcare complex sits in a “paradise-like, semi-tropical setting” on the edge of Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. For fiscal year 2005, the system saw approximately 10,250 in-patients in the hospital, over 939,000 out-patient visits in the clinics, and served over 93,000 unique veteran patients.

Reardon’s clients range from those facing a difficult transition to the civilian workforce to troops traumatized by combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the course of a day, he might hold classes on social interaction; host group therapy sessions; or provide patients with information on music therapy, meditation, holistic treatments, and exercise therapy.

“Sometimes, in the evenings, I’ll take patients to the local VFW post or Elks Lodge so they can interact with other people and redevelop their social skills,” Reardon says. “All of this is extremely important for the healing process. The Army helped me develop good communication abilities, and those come into play every day here.”

In Uniform
After graduating from Vermont’s Saint Michael’s College in 1980, Reardon found himself sideswiped by an economic recession. Jobs were scarce, and he worked a series of odd jobs for two years.

“I was tired of things, so I figured I would join the Army, see the world, and meet women,” Reardon jokes. “It seemed a lot better than selling shoes.”

After boot camp and Airborne infantry training at Fort Benning, he served in Georgia and Panama. His accomplishments include completing Panamanian and Honduran airborne courses and testing over 600 infantry soldiers for the Expert Infantryman’s Badge.

However, by 1989, Reardon was tired of being a rifleman and left the Army – a big mistake: “I managed a restaurant for about six months and came right back to the military. I realized Army life was pretty darn good.”

The Transition
Over the next 15 years, Reardon served in a variety of administrative and information technology jobs, culminating as a database manager at England’s Alconbury Air Force Base. But after seven years as an E-7, with no sign of E-8 in sight, he decided to leave for good in 2005.

“I took a lot of ACAP and TAP classes,” Reardon says. “I also read G.I. Jobs vigorously and was a subscriber for a couple of years. In fact, I used the résumé format featured in one article and received compliments from a headhunter friend.”

Within a couple of years, Reardon has gone from depression to professional and personal happiness. Granted, he took a pay cut, but the combination of his military pension and current salary has enabled him to earn more than he did in the Army. Also, since he works in a government position, the benefits are comparable to the military’s.

“The main thing is that I love coming into work each day,” he says. “I don’t even look at it as a job – I get the chance to improve people’s lives. You can’t buy that feeling.”

Reardon’s Advice

Talk with someone who has left the military within the last two years. “He or she could provide valuable insight and advice.”

Don’t stress out. “Start planning early, and pace yourself.”

Network. “Talk to headhunters as well as professionals in the career field you want to enter.”