Military Social Work Analysis

There is concern about military service members receiving stigma about getting or needing treatment in the area of mental health. Stigma occurs when individuals view others negatively because they have been labeled or identified as having a deviant behavior against societal norms; deviant behaviors such as mental illnesses or diagnoses uncommon or harmful to others. How does that impact the military? Military men and women alike are termed heroes, warriors, and survivors; this is quite the reputation to keep up. Military members go to war or deploy to hostile combat environments, which many come back with severe mental illnesses and diagnosis that need immediate care. At this point they may not feel like a hero. The terms psychological, mentally ill, PTSD, and behavioral health has gained a reputation as having or being a problem. Being labeled a problem is not what service members want. Many studies are trying to pinpoint the problem and resolve the stereotypes associated with getting treatment. Consequently, an individual’s attitude toward mental health treatment is thought to be affected by other people’s views on mental health care (Held & Owens, 2012).

Both articles identify the issue of providing mental health services for veterans with an extra emphasis on those that served in Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF veterans). It is no surprise that returning veterans suffer from both visible/invisible (physical and mental) wounds. Most veterans have this “high” expectation that they are going to receive quality care from both the DoD and VA. Unfortunately reality steps in where veterans are slapped in the face because they are receiving a lack of poor quality care all while jumping through Beuracractic hoops. The challenges faced to access these services include resistance, stigma, lack of professionalism, and geographic and/or regional disparities in the distribution of services resources and/or benefits, and the system simply refusing to change.

Veterans are everywhere throughout the United States, but just because they are everywhere, doesn’t meant they are getting the proper care. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of America, “One in three veterans return home and suffer from some sort of mental health issue.” Their mental health issues vary from post traumatic stress disorder to anxiety and depression. The switch from fighting everyday to being home is tough for the veterans and they need to receive the proper treatment so they can possibly live a life as normal as possible. The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, started a $810,000 program to support these veterans with their issues returning home. The transition is hard, not

According to (Fischner, et al., 2016), military beliefs of self-reliance, stoicism, and manliness were reasons why veterans did not seek treatment. With the above-mentioned beliefs, the military norms played a role that prevented a least one individual from this study to seek mental health treatment. The gentlemen, who came from an infantry background, stated that mental health was a taboo subject and that seeking treatment was a sign of failure. Another veteran stated that he was embarrassed to seek mental health treatment and this veteran was afraid others would find that he was indeed seeking mental health treatment but if privacy was promised and maintained he was fine with seeking treatment (Fischner, et al., 2016). This is an indication that providers need to ensure that veterans understand HIPPA and confidentiality laws when they do seek treatment so that these fears are eased. Another belief that this study identified showed is that military beliefs emphasized the need to not show any weakness and to facilitate independence (Fischner, et al., 2016). According to (McCaslin, Leach, Herbst, & Armstrong, 2013), military beliefs have origins in service, respect, honor, and order as well as comradeship amongst military members. The loss of a veteran’s social network in a combination of having to locate housing, healthcare, and source of income can cause an insurmountable hardship for the returning veteran (McCaslin, Leach, Herbst, & Armstrong,

Many veterans are underserved and need tremendous help. Due to increased deployment and the veteran population increasing; there is a large demand for social workers to provide them with supportive services. Many veterans struggle with readjusting to civilian life after deployment, while others struggle with invisible mental wounds from war trauma. Unfortunately, many of these veterans are returning to the United States without adequate support services and their human rights are being compromised. The social work profession is dedicated to serving the nation’s veterans. Social workers strive to empower the veteran population and support recovery to meet each and every individual need.

Even though there is a high risk of mental health problems among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been no systematic studies of mental health care utilization among these veterans after deployment (Hoge, Auchterlonie, and Milliken, 2006). Such studies are an important part of measuring the mental health burden of the current war and ensuring that there are adequate resources to meet the mental health care needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (Hoge, Auchterlonie, and Milliken, 2006). When a person is in the military, he or she may experience a lot of traumatic events; therefore, PTSD becomes more prevalent in their lives post-war. There was a research conducted after other military conflicts that has shown that deployment stressors and exposure to combat result in considerable risks of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, substance abuse, impairment in social functioning and in the ability to work, and the increased use of health care services (Hoge, Castor, Messer, McGurk, Cotting, & Koffman, 2004).Veterans in America have a history of mental illness, thus it is important that there are a variety of treatment options available for veterans. Most veterans with mental health problems refused to go in for services because

military who understand the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life after being conditioned into service. Although some have the support of family friends, it’s not always the case for those who undergo extended service for the United States. After serving a certain amount of time for the United States, it only seems fair that veterans should be able experience an easier transition and at least be provided with easier access to care for possible psychological trauma and other behavioral needs.

The wars of Iraq and Afghanistan have not only renewed the appreciation for our nation’s military, but it has also raised awareness about the sacrifices and the culture that is produced through the ranks in uniform and also amongst veterans. While it is important to note how the Department of Defense, and The Department of Veteran Affairs have significantly ramped up their efforts to address and identify the transitional problems that affect many veterans, barriers to treatment remain along with the challenge to provide successful outreach through benefits and mental health services to the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), veteran population.

Many military veterans with PTSD refine themselves from receiving offered health service, because they fear negative responses and discrimination by peers and others (Stotzer et al., 2012, p. 3). Stotzer et al. (2012) state that “military-related populations are at particular risk for experiencing the negative effects of stigma, and as a result, avoid seeking care to prevent real or imagined discrimination and/or loss of social status” (p. 10). Their research examines how mental health stigma in the military may serve as an additional barrier for Veterans who are struggling with mental health concerns (p. 10). It is necessary to understand the emotional barriers veterans experience in order to strengthening the social relationships and networks between social workers and military veterans who suffer from mental health issues (Stotzer et al., 2012, p. 10). Moreover, understanding  the reasons behind military veterans

Do Military Veterans Feel that Civilian Psychologists are Competent in Military Culture and How does this Affect the Therapeutic Alliance?

Upon learning from a Connecticut National Guard recruiter that I was ineligible to enlist in any branch of the United States Armed Forces due to a chronic illness that will require medication indefinitely, I was devastated. However, despite this devastation, it was my desire to serve and to be a part of the military culture that became the driving force behind the decision to become a certified Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families – Advanced Social Worker (MVF-ASW). Even though this career does not involve being on the front lines, I can still provide direct services to the children of active duty service members as they navigate the extended deployments, frequent moves and strained familial relationships. Even though this particular credential is not mandatory to work as a youth services coordinator on a military base, it is recommended because it will provide me with the specialized knowledge and understanding of military culture that can help me to be a more effective social worker in this particular field.

scored lower on reported post-deployment social support than others. Also, those who utilized treatment did not report lower stigma levels. However, concerns about discrimination were significantly higher in participants who received psychotherapy and medication than in both other groups. The other groups being psychotherapy alone, medication alone, or no treatment. These concerns about discrimination include items in a questionnaire such as “I believe my employer will discriminate against me because I am receiving mental health care”. This fear of discrimination is another form of a stigma. Employers shouldn’t discriminate against those receiving mental health care, instead they should positively affirm them utilizing resources to address

For employees of the U.S Military including the air force, army, navy, marine and coastal guards, one can get tax advice and help from the free tax services provided by the Armed Forces Tax Council. These services are provided at different levels. If you are in the military or you are a veteran, you can find out more about these free services by enquiring from your local administrative office. Below is the structure of this free military tax service:

There is something about an old man sitting in his rocking chair sharing stories that sparks just about anyone’s interest. It just so happens that man was my grandfather, telling stories about his experiences serving in the military, I couldn’t help but sit and listen in fascination. He had so much to say; from how he had two pet monkeys during the war, learning how to ask for tea from a Vietnamese man, to desperately trying to sleep through the haunting visions of dead bodies he had seen in combat. My grandfather is a strong man, but even so, he still needs help in some aspects of life after serving in the military. He began to tell me about his trips to the Department of Veteran Affairs Clinic and the medical support he received. He said to me, “Now baby girl, Lord knows I am thankful for the aid government offers, but I sure wish some things were different. Not just for me, but the Veterans out there that need more than I do.” This was something that really made me think about what our government does offer and how it effects our citizens. Some would argue that we have ample support opportunities and the government is offering all that is needed, while others would argue there is not enough aid and the government is not, in fact, doing everything they can to help the men and women who have served our country.

A service member’s emotional and psychological issues are not like malfunctions of a piece of equipment and must not be treated as a troubleshooting problem in a technical manual. And yet this seems to be the only way the military, as a whole, knows how to address the issue of a service members mental health. It requires a holistic approach that is not currently embraced by the military. Historically, the military has been ill-equipped to handle the shifting nature of the psychological issues created by introducing a service member to the battlefield.