Social Work Program Analysis

I believe that the overall theme of this article was to show the different theories that are used by Social Workers on a daily basis. By understanding the different theories mentioned in this article you could better understand how to work through different cases. This article also showed that not all theories are helpful despite what one may believe. In this article, it also mentions that before using a specific theory/case management style you should be sure to evaluate the person of interest. I found this article to be very useful and it helped me better understand how each theory is supposed to work and how important it is to evaluate clients before choosing theories.

As I prepare for the second year of the master’s program, there are three interviews that I must attend to get into my second year placement. Interviews itself can be challenging because they tend to be unpredictable and nerve-racking. The interview can take place with one interviewer or a panel of interviews. To better prepare for this challenge Professor Sears provided the class with a handout of questions to prepare for the placement interview. The three questions I am struggling with are the following:

With a master 's level education in social work, I see myself envisioning clients’ health and well-being. As a student, I will study and practice techniques, beyond a generalist perspective, that will allow me to give clients hope and the ability to see something greater than what they are facing. Upon completion of a Master of Social Work direct practice degree and certificates in gerontology and mental health programs, I intend to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will competently incorporate specialized skills in different professional settings while developing my knowledge of a wide range of social issues and professional standards. With commitment, I wish to develop skills that will enable me to create or find hidden resources and services for my future clients, create platforms through counselling for victims of trauma.

The mission statement of the VA Social Workers is to eliminate significant barriers to clients in need and offer interventions for veterans and families. It is accomplished by developing and maintaining integrated, in-depth programs in patient care, research, and education (Hoffer, Elizabeth. F., Dekle, Judith. Ward., & Sheets, Carol., 2014). Its proposed 11 percent to 20 percent of Iraq, Afghanistan veterans as well as 30 percent of Vietnam vets encounter (PTSD) posttraumatic stress disorder traumatic incidents like combat can lead to PTSD, military sexual trauma of military service member, and veterans may possibly deal with depression, anxiety in addition to other mental health concerns. Vets distress from these mental health and cognitive

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.

One major concern that our society currently has is how to help veterans with mental disorders. According to research, about 30,000 people killed themselves and nearly 650,000 other people were seen in the emergency room after a suicide attempt after serving in the Vietnam war (Wineke, 2007). During this time the government had concerns about readjustment difficulties for veterans as they were returning home from war. Eventually, the nation expressed their concern about the mental health of returning veterans, and in 1970, the congress conducted the first hearing to address these issues (Rosenheck and Fontana, 1999). Service members reported having several psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, nightmares, and insomnia following a return from a combat zone. The Vietnam era was the turning point in assessment and treatment of combat-related psychological distress (Tanielian, 2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, was officially defined as a mental disorder in 1979, in recognition of the potentially disabling mental health challenges confronting veterans returning from the war: “The most lasting contribution of Vietnam to the history of battle trauma is the legacy of post-traumatic stress disorder” (Helmus and Glenn, 2005). The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) estimated that, in 1998, 15 percent (472,000) of those who had served in Vietnam met the criteria for active PTSD (Rosenheck and Fontana, 1999). A study of over 100,000

Many combat veterans return with mental health needs that can complicate educational achievement. In addition to specific disorders such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, combat veterans experience psychosocial disruption as they rapidly transition from the role from warrior to that of student. (Sachs, 2008, p.1)

Losing funding when running a human service program can be devastating to not only the person running the program but also to those who are taking part of the services that the program provides. To lose the backing from the faith-based funders and have to rely strictly on the funds from the federal government changes the entire concept of how the program can be ran. Losing faith-based funding and going to a government ran program will have an impact not only on the clients that use the program but also the staff members that are there because of the mission, beliefs and vision that the program originally had.

My hopes are that by gaining a social work education, I will be able to help address the tensions I have with the literature by working with veterans and their families to remedy said barriers to care. Whether working for a local community mental health organization, or the VHA, I can use the skills I’m learning in my educational program to help rural veterans find the care they so deserve.

Research indicates that, on average, student service members/veterans all have a common thread; student service members/veterans who have been exposed to combat or had a hazardous job had a higher probability of being diagnosed with a mental disorder (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression) and were at a higher risk

The first is increasing the employment rates by providing vocational and training services to improve veteran’s chances at gainful employment. Secondly, offering Health Services that could provide much needed mental health care to the women who return from combat suffering from not only Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but also from Military Sexual Trauma (MST). The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that women veterans who have experienced MST along with PTSD are at greater risk of facing homelessness (Tsai, Rosenheck, and Kasprow par. 3). This program will help address some of the unique needs of these women

Imagine returning home unscathed from battle to your physical body. Staff Sargent shakes your hand will depart the ship and the reality of being a citizen never truly becomes a real reality. Losing fellow friends, seeing heinous and often gruesome separation of body and limps and doctors check off as “A ok”. The true effects of PTSD are not limited to soldiers and the effects of PTSD are so vast that medical professionals often have troubles diagnosing all cases. Not to mention many victims of PTSD are unaware of what is causing all their anxiety attacks or depression so mix that all in with a government that doesn’t properly fund its veterans returning from battle with medical therapy and we are left with one giant mess of ticking time bombs that are struggling to ever truly feel at peace. It is the goal of this research to bring to light some of the critical issues of PTSD as well as current systems in place for treatment.

Over the past year, I have been working to obtain a college degree, specifically in the disciplines of psychology and sociology. It is my intention to utilize the acquired knowledge—specific to such disciplines— to benefit those who seek assistance through the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (“VA”) for treatment of combat related post traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”). Although I am an active

There are three social work values that can play a major role in defendants who face the death penalty. Those social work values are service, social justice, and dignity & worth of the person. For example, “social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth the person” (NASW Code of Ethics, 2008). A client cannot be treated different because of the color of their skin. Secondly, social workers challenge social injustice (NASW Code of Ethics, 2008). For instance, if a social worker thought her client did not received fair ruling, he or she may ask the jury to look over the case again. Last but not least, “social workers primary goal is to help those in needs and to address social problems” (NASW Code of Ethics, 2008). For example, a social

In America like many other countries there are social programs, these programs were designed to aid the needs of the US population. Social programs include social security, general welfare, healthcare, education, food assistance, and public housing. The Social Security Act of 1935, “This Act provided for unemployment insurance, old-age insurance, and means-tested welfare programs” (www.ssa.gov). This is beneficial for the population that is disabled, and unable to work. Like social security, many of the other programs are aimed towards low income families that need assistants with buying food and housing. The class of immigrants that we need to welcome into the country need to be educated; able bodied people, willing to do the needed jobs and