June 2022 NASW recognizes June as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. PTSD impacts millions of people in the United States. “According to the National Center for PTSD, a program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about seven or eight of every 100 people will experience PTSD in their lifetime.”1 Although PTSD has commonly been associated with the military and ... Read More »
President-Elect Joe Biden has tapped social worker Meg Kabat to lead his administration’s transition at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), according to an article in MeriTalk. Kabat, LCSW-C, CCM, is currently a senior director at the Atlas Group consultant firm, where her clients include the Defense Health Agency and the VA. Kabat was previously the National Director of ... Read More »
NASW honors our brave veterans on Veterans Day. Learn how NASW is helping social workers better serve veterans, active duty military and their families. NASW Military & Veterans Page Veterans Health Administration White Ribbon VA domestic violence prevention program (NASW is a partner). You can also listen to the an NASW Social Work Talks Podcast episode on White Ribbon ... Read More »
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. The Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the largest employers of social workers, this month is running a #BeThere suicide prevention campaign for veterans and service members. The campaign offers tips we can all do to prevent people from dying by suicide. Here are other Suicide Prevention Month resources social workers that may interest ... Read More »
Social Worker Metari Garza has been serving veterans for seven years. She is also a writer of poetry and a spoken word artist. During Social Work Month Garza, LCSW, CCM, shared her poem “Stand Up” with other staff at the VA North Texas Health Care System. The chief of Social Work Services then shared it with our national VA leadership. ... Read More »
By Alison Laurio, News contributor When Georgia Van Cooten walked into New York City’s Penn Station to participate in the homeless count this year, her thoughts went to two people. A second-year master’s in social work student at Touro College in New York City, Van Cooten also had taken part in the 2015 count. Back then, she talked with a ... Read More »
The National Association of Social Workers recognizes Veterans Day. We congratulate the brave men and women in our armed services and veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employs more than 12,000 social workers. In fact, the VA is the largest employer of social workers with a master’s degree. Social workers provide support to the military, veterans and their families, ... Read More »
The two longest volunteer-fought conflicts in US history have resulted in large numbers of veterans coming home not only with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also traumatic brain injury (TBI). These “signature” injuries of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been called “invisible” since they are not necessarily accompanied by physical scars or injuries. Yet PTSD and TBI can cause ... Read More »
In times of crisis, service members answer the call of duty, making the ultimate sacrifice for their country. When our military service members are called to defend our nation, the entire family system is affected. The families of deployed service members are also called on to serve and sacrifice for their country as they continually accept, adapt, and adjust to ... Read More »
Approximately 2.2 million service members make up the U.S. all-volunteer force in the active, National Guard, and Reserve components, representing less than one percent of all U.S. citizens. Furthermore, veterans constitute seven percent of the country’s population, or almost 22 million persons, with ten percent of those being female. The largest living cohort of veterans served during the Vietnam era. ... Read More »
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