Verified Document

Social Work And Military Veterans Application Admission Essay

The connection between combat experience and mental health has been extensively researched, and the literature is clear and consistent: veterans are a critically underserved population. A 2014 Rand study revealed a “woeful lack of understanding mental health providers have about military members, veterans and families they treat,” (Eckhart, n.d., p. 1). The results of the Rand study may come as no surprise to military families and ex-combatants, but social workers and psychologists do remain critically untrained in the issues specific to American veterans. For this and other reasons such as stigma related to seeking mental health services, veterans continue to be the most vulnerable to mental health issues. When their mental health issues like PTSD, which alone accounts for a full half of all clinical diagnoses (Savitsky, Illingworth & DuLaney, 2009), remain unidentified or untreated, the results can be disastrous. Almost 150,000 American veterans each year experience homelessness each year (Jackson, 2013). Suicide rates are already alarmingly high and continue to rise. Coping with daily life and reintegrating into their communities is challenging, leading to behavioral problems, substance abuse, and criminality (Savitsky, Illingworth & DuLaney, 2009). I know; I have been on...

I now wish to deepen my level of service and commitment to helping US veterans as a social worker.
After serving as a US Army combat medic for six years, I received honorable discharge due to a medical disability and since then have worked squarely in the mental health sector to serve other veterans. For the past four years, I have specialized as a chemical dependency counselor. I have a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, which laid the foundation for my counseling work as well as my future career in social work. The next stepping stone in my career will be a Masters degree in social work. I have selected Capella because its program best represents my philosophy of applied social science in helping the veteran community. Having identified the core problems facing veterans, I want to participate in the solution building process by working with veterans and their families. In addition to promoting early intervention, treatment, and diagnosis, I hope to eventually transfer my skills to policy analysis. I believe that evidence-based policy can be created within the social work professions, to bolster understanding of military issues specifically, and also within the military, to improve access and awareness of mental health services. Ultimately, I believe…

Sources used in this document:

References



APHA (2014). Removing barriers to mental health services for veterans. Retrieved online: https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2015/01/28/14/51/removing-barriers-to-mental-health-services-for-veterans

Eckhart, J. (n.d.). Woeful lack of military knowledge among mental health providers. Military.com. Retrieved online: http://www.military.com/spouse/military-life/military-resources/woeful-lack-of-military-knowledge-among-mental-health-providers.html

Jackson, J. (2013). Reducing homelessness in veterans with mental illnesses. Social Work Today 13(3): 8.

Olenick, M., Flowers, M. & Diaz, V.J. (2015). US veterans and their unique issues. Advances in Medical Education and Practice 2015(6): 635-639.

Savitsky, L., Illingworth, M. & DuLaney, M. (2009). Civilian social work. NASW Journal. Retrieved online: https://msrc.fsu.edu/system/files/Savitsky%20et%20al%202009%20Civilian%20social%20work-%20serving%20the%20military%20and%20veteran%20populations.pdf


Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Why Military Veterans Make Good Teachers
Words: 6034 Length: 18 Document Type: Literature Review

Voices from the trenches: The transfer of teaching and leadership skills from the military environment as veterans enter the teaching profession that affect grit and resilience in underrepresented male students.The need for interdisciplinary team work is increasing as a result of a number of factors, including the association of professional development with collegiality (Sandholtz, 2000). By transferring teaching and leadership skills from the military environment to the educational environment, a

Military Organization Managing the Fire
Words: 1623 Length: 5 Document Type: Thesis

And members of the military who contemplate suicide should be helped by their fellow members, health professionals, military leaders and others in their community. Conclusion Problems affecting the physical and mental health of the members of the military beset its management. Causes may be known or unknown but they are not without solutions. These can range from the introduction of appropriate training programs, the application of new tools or procedures, a

Military Employee Stress the Objective
Words: 18029 Length: 66 Document Type: Thesis

The subjects were 613 injured Army personnel Military Deployment Services TF Report 13 admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center from March 2003 to September 2004 who were capable of completing the screening battery. Soldiers were assessed at approximately one month after injury and were reassessed at four and seven months either by telephone interview or upon return to the hospital for outpatient treatment. Two hundred and forty-three soldiers

Veterans Back Pain Exercise and Therapy
Words: 3010 Length: 10 Document Type: policy evaluation

PICOT Question Introduction Low back pain is a common health challenge for both active and former military service members. Among the military veterans, low back pain places higher risk and has been indicated to be bear the potential for long-term disability (Bagg et al., 2017). There is a lack of effective treatment strategies, and thus, military veterans rely on pain management strategies and other medical strategies, e.g., medical imaging, opioids, injections, and

The Involvement of Childrens Education Military Deployed Parents...
Words: 34918 Length: 116 Document Type: Multiple Chapters

MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYbyEder G. BennettLiberty UniversityA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationLiberty University2021MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYby Eder G. BennettA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationAPPROVED BY:James Eller, Ed.D., Committee ChairMichael-Chadwell Sharon, Ed.D., Committee MemberABSTRACTThe purpose

Helping Black Officers Achieve Their Full Potential in the U S Military...
Words: 8856 Length: 30 Document Type: Literature Review

AbstractNot only is the problem longstanding, it has been well documented time and again without any substantive progress. In fact, the representation of senior African Americans military leaders in the U.S. armed forces has remained essentially unchanged over the past half century despite purported efforts on the part of the U.S. government to effect meaningful changes in its personnel evaluation and promotion policies. Against this backdrop, it is vitally important

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now