By Matt Stradley
WCHL ReporterChanges will be made to the Citizen Soldier Support Program, or CSSP, at UNC after an audit and a review of the program. CSSP is one of the public service programs housed in the Odum Institute.
Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and economic development says he initiated the audit and internal review after questions about the program began to arise.
The goal of CSSP is to aid soldiers in the National Guard and Reserves as well as their families. However, some questioned if the approximately 10-million dollar federally funded program was being cost-effective.
The report recommend better training for individuals involved in the business aspect of the program, as well as instituting stronger financial controls. They will also look to utilize university employees as opposed to outside consultants. These changes will hopefully allow for more aid to soldiers and their families when they are called for duty, as well as when they return home. The program has already created a database of health care providers the families can turn to, and have a goal of training 33-thousand health care providers as well.
Waldrop says the program can and will be more effective in the future.
The program will be re-evaluated next month.