Social Work with Military Service Members, Veterans and their Families

This course was designed to increase the knowledge base and competency level of social workers who plan to work with (or are interested in) military service members, veterans and their families. This will be accomplished by introducing participants to basic military background and structure, the common problem-areas experienced by this community, and the diverse sub-groups that exist within this unique population.

The content covered in this course will include subject areas such as military culture, trauma, life after service (transition), problems/issues faced by family members and the study of specific populations within the service such as women, other minorities, and the LGBT population. In addition to improving the cultural competency in the areas listed above, students will also be exposed to the diverse and unique challenges faced by the veterans of different war eras (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War and current conflicts). Time will also be spent discussing the kinds of clinical skills that are important for social workers to possess when working with this population.