Veteran's Center Program: A Case Study

Until then, it was unknown as to how many veterans were in need of help, who were having problems obtaining health and human services, and what resource related issues they were encountering. There were, and still are, many “problems affecting homeless veterans [which] include physical, addictive, and postmilitary psychiatric disorders; social isolation; etc.…” (Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use, p.20). With the number of problems needing to be addressed, it was crucial in getting the “’insider perspectives’ data from veterans…” (Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use, p.20). By doing this, the veterans were able to provide in their own words, the major problems and barriers they encountered while attempting to obtain social services (Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use). However, prior to this, homeless veterans, let alone non-homeless veterans, were getting little to no

State and federal legislators both need to make it a priority to be involved in the welfare of veterans. The issues will never get better unless the individuals in charge of the laws, regulations, funding and departments step up to the challenges. That alone will not even be enough. These issues need to be addressed on a state level as well. Housing projects and professional training need to be made more widely available. Understanding the importance of both changes made at a state and federal level for the living conditions and health status of American veterans is the first step. The next step is that it must be acted on and improved. The United States of America owes that much to its

As of 2014, there are 22.5 million veterans in the United States. According to Veteransinc.org, between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans are homeless at some time during the year. Did you know 33% of homeless males are veterans? Aside from homelessness, 70% have substance abuse problems, 45% suffer from PTSD, and there are 22 veterans who commit suicide every day. The problems don’t end there, homelessness is just one problem for our veterans. 573,000 were unemployed in 2014. There are many causes for unemployment such as PTSD, war injuries, or lack of knowledge in the work field.

A struggle for veterans was finding employment after completing the service so many veterans had problems with conforming to civilian from transitioning out the military. The unemployment rate for all U.S. veterans was 6.9 percent←;→ however, for those who had served since September 11 it rest at 10 percent. 13 percent of the veterans in the U.S. population were homeless, another 1.4 million veterans were at the endangered of homelessness. The source for vets that unfortunately discovery themselves in this position of being homeless lack of employment, poverty, housing shortages, low wages with adding drug abuse, alcohol, physical mental illness these problems can leave a veteran out in the streets (Hoffer, Elizabeth. F., Dekle, Judith. Ward., & Sheets, Carol., 2014).

This study strives to increase the awareness of healthcare disparities among veterans in hopes that veterans can receive the best healthcare possible. This study has the potential to change the structure of veterans’ health care. If their health care is damaged to the extent that some insiders and outsiders believe it to be, then hopefully the veterans’ health care system can be restructured. These disparities can be addressed in community outreach programs to expand common knowledge on the subject.

Rates of trauma and mental illness are reported to be disproportionately higher among American veterans, especially those of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The barriers to care after civilian reentry further disadvantage this already vulnerable population. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the longest sustained US military operations since the Vietnam era, sending more than 2.2 million troops into battle and resulting in more than 6,600 deaths and 48,000 injuries. Veterans are at risk mental health challenges, as well as family instability, elevated rates of homelessness, and joblessness. Veterans have disproportionate rates of mental illness, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse disorders, depression, anxiety, and military sexual trauma.

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.

Thirteen percent of all of the homeless in the United States are reported to be veterans (Hoffler, Dekle & Sheets, 2014). Because of this issue veteran suicide rates are much higher than the general population as are the rates for veterans substance abuse (McCarl 2103). Behavioral health needs and housing are currently the two of the largest needs that are facing veterans at this time. The VA has housing programs and a large funding source though each VA may have differing program structures the VA itself is lacing in outreach programs and psychoeducational programs for homeless veterans. Also Homeless veterans themselves underutilize the services available to them. (Gabrielian, Yuan, Rubestein, Anderson, Gelberg 2013) This homeless veterans

Veterans lack the proper aid and care that is essential for the United States. . Many veterans need specific assistance when struggling with substance use, homelessness and mental health. Substance use is becoming a more prevalent problem for many veterans after deployment. Young males in the military use alcoholic beverages

These traditional programs lacked several keys features, e.g. lack of understanding of the military culture, values, unique stressors, etc. As a result, these transitional programs were found not to be effective for service members and lacked a sense of trust and open communication between veterans and social workers. In order to improve the trust and communication between the service member and those involved with providing assistance, traditional transitional programs should be adjusted to appeal to the military population and

Guaranteeing that veterans, their families can retrieve the full range of benefits available to them fighting for the interest of injured heroes on Capitol Hill instructing the public about the great sacrifices of veterans transitioning to civilian life. Offer free professional assistance to veterans, their families in obtaining benefits, services earned through military service are prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) other agencies of government. Offer outreach concerning its program services to the disabled veterans their families specifically. Signifying the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses, their orphans before Congress, the White House the Judicial Branch, as state local government.

In 1917, as the United States entered World War I, Congress established a system that addressed Veterans benefits which included programs for disability compensation, insurance for service members and Veterans as well as rehabilitative treatments for those that were disabled (www.va.gov). Three years later, 3 separate federal agencies: the Veterans Bureau, Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department and National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers were charged with administering these benefits and services (www.va.gov). Then, in 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed an Executive Order which consolidated these agencies to a federal administration level and created the Veterans Administration (www.va.gov). Almost seventy years later, in 1989, the Veterans Administration was then renamed the Department of Veterans Affairs (www.va.gov). The purpose for establishing the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) has always been, since inception, and remains to this day, to provide a comprehensive system of assistance for Veterans (www.va.gov). As noble a purpose as the VA was intended, the VA could not escape the bureaucratic dysfunction that has rocked the very core of the military community, the nation and the Western allies with outrage and an immediate call for remedy.

Veterans who use these programs can better themselves gaining insight; obtain job skills to advance employment. These programs can help the veteran homeless population and prevent veterans in becoming homeless. The VA is constantly trying to better its systems to give and offer quality care for veterans. Veterans who have served and put the life on the line should not have to worry about transition back to civilian life and the VA is trying to make sure this happens. Human services, social services, and other services can also assist homeless veterans by getting them into or guide them to a right program. The VA has changed its guidelines to help and improve what is best to for treating PSTD and substance abuse due to they both can be related but not recommended to treat them together (Bernardy, Hamblen, Friedman, Kivlahan, 2011). The VA also has individual placement and support (IPS) and transitional work experience (TWE) to help veterans to obtain a job. Individual placement and support is a prompt system for job placement (Leddy, Stefanovies & Rosenheck, 2014). Another opportunity that veterans have to help them to transition back to civilian is education assistance programs. One of the programs that is popular is the GI Bill. It pays for tuition,

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

Judith Coburn, on her journalist said “The veterans administration (VA), the preceding agency of the Department of Veterans Affairs, will not be able to meet the needs of U.S. veterans,” veterans suffer getting their benefit. Since the Continental Congress of 1776, start proving pensions to all the disabled soldier because they could not be able to work. Upon the time they established news system to benefit to veterans. They three agency that benefit veterans at are Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of pensions of the interior Department, and the National Home for disabled Volunteer soldiers. The United States have a lot of programs to help the veterans but, throughout the country they are a lot of veterans that are are homeless