For Alyssa Warburton, life is a dedication to service for her country. First, serving five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and now advocating for veterans in rural Washington state who are struggling to transition to civilian life and at risk for suicide. Since completing her Master of Social Work (MSW) at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work in December 2023, she has been a suicide prevention peer specialist for the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs, working with veterans across Eastern Washington every day to help them navigate mental health services that address suicide prevention and intervention. 

Warburton served in the Marines from 2011 to 2016, which included a deployment to Afghanistan. During that time, she lost several military colleagues to suicide and became aware of the significant mental health issues that active-duty servicemembers face. She personally experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and battled her own mental health issues, including suicidality, substance use and complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to Warburton, one out of every 100 men and one out of every three women in active military service report an MST event to Veteran Affairs, but few of them receive mental health care. 

“The reason I share the adversity I’ve overcome is to be a beacon of hope for others who have similar lived experiences,” Warburton said. “Every time I share my story, someone says, ‘That happened to me too and I’ve never told anybody.’ It’s profound and humbling and heartbreaking.” 

When Warburton lost a fellow veteran and close friend to suicide in 2019, it was a big push for her toward advocacy. 

“This person, my friend, appeared on the surface to have everything going for them,” she said. “I knew I had to be part of the change.” 

At the time Warburton had recently become a single mother, raising two young children while still working on healing from PTSD. But she was determined to find a path that allowed her to thrive and help other veterans to achieve the same. 

“As a single mom, as a veteran, as an MST survivor, I shouldn’t be where I am,” Warburton said. “I didn’t want to be a statistic. I wanted to defy that.” 

Choosing social work at USC

Warburton decided that social work was the way in which she could make a meaningful difference, for herself and for others.

“I was drawn to social work because there are so many different things you can do as a social worker, either with individuals in therapy or all the way up to the policy level,” Warburton said.

She began researching social work graduate programs. Uprooting her family from their community in Washington was not an option, and she needed an online program that delivered high-standards in education to move her career forward while providing the necessary flexibility to ensure her children continued to be a priority. The online MSW option at USC was the perfect fit. 

“The MSW at USC was about excellence and I knew I wanted to be part of that family,” Warburton said. “I was able to get to know myself better on a professional level and how I wanted to show up in the world.” 

Her commitment and drive, along with a willingness to be vulnerable and share her lived experiences, stood out among her peers from the outset. 

“Alyssa came to the classroom with a deep family-rooted commitment to help her military brothers and sisters,” said Jennifer Parga, associate teaching professor. “I witnessed Alyssa persevere in a no-nonsense way that many of our military-affiliated students tend to do. But when she shares her story, it is moving, authentic, and really lets others see the amazing human being she is. I am proud to have been a part of her journey at USC."

Focused on veterans in rural communities

Warburton is particularly focused on helping veterans in rural areas who face additional obstacles with access to care, and experience greater isolation. She is familiar with the challenges of rural health care as the daughter of a nurse practitioner who specialized in working with rural populations. 

“Veterans in rural areas have a harder time accessing care because their needs are specialized,” Warburton said. “They need a direct line to Veteran Affairs and help with navigating what is available to them. They need help with accessing resources for disabilities, resources for their families, and to break the isolation.”

She notes that difficulties experienced by many veterans with accessing health care through Veteran Affairs is even greater in rural areas. Often a two- or three-hour drive is required just to reach the nearest facility. In Warburton’s remote area of Washington, it can be a seven-month wait for a veteran to receive mental health care. For veterans returning to civilian life, often argued as the most significant military transition, these additional barriers to receiving care are critical. 

“As service members transition out of the military they are at a very distinct need point,” Warburton said. “Essentially, they need to learn a new culture — how to dress, act, talk and interact with the world in a very different way. For some, it’s in a way that they have never experienced before. That, in itself, can be so detrimental, and that’s part of the reason why we’re losing so many to suicide. Many can’t make that transition without resources and they don’t know where to start.” 

Recently, Warburton decided to evolve to the next step in her career and ability to provide more access to mental health care for veterans in rural Washington. She is working toward receiving her licensure while helping veterans in a private clinical setting. Warburton is excited to fine-tune the skills she acquired at USC. 

“I want people to know they are not alone in this,” Warburton said. “Even though it can be scary to face those demons, it can make all the difference to their mental health and well-being. It is the honor of my lifetime to be side-by-side with those who are trying to achieve that, and I was able to get what I needed to help them through USC.”