A Social Capital approach to assisting veterans through recovery and desistance transitions in civilian life

While only a minority of veterans experience transitional difficulties after military service, there is increasing recognition of the unique challenges that some veterans face, including involvement with the criminal justice system, mental health problems and substance misuse. There is growing acknowledgment that both recovery from substance misuse and desistance from crime are lived transitional processes grounded in social relationships and community. This paper reports on the potential of the comradeship and mutual resilience that underpin military life being re-directed to support recovery and desistance journeys, through assertive linkage to peer support and community activities, describing a new initiative and an innovative evaluation model.