Social Work Commons^™

Improving Veteran Access; Status Of Operations Of The United States Department Of Veteran Affairs Work-Study Program, Kirk Allen

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The usage status of The U.S. Department Veterans Affairs Work-Study Program is examined. Beneficiary numbers from the Global, Unites States, State, and Local/County perspective are reviewed. While of essential value, the program suffers from a lack of scholarly research and government oversight, and is further hindered by restrictive administrative rules lived first-hand. Research suggests that the program is operating outside of accountability to the taxpayer, presents as unnecessarily/overly-restrictive in accessibility, and is underutilized. The program appears to not be serving all veterans to full potential.

The Work-Study Program is codified in Veterans Benefits', Title 38 United States Code, Part III, …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Comparing Short-Term, Intensive Therapy To Traditional, Long-Term Therapy, Laura Gonzalez, Sean Kruckenberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health diagnosis that occurs following a traumatic event, and military veterans are at higher risk of exposure to hazardous or life-threatening situations that may result in psychological trauma. PTSD sufferers experience symptoms such as distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and heightened arousal. Individuals with PTSD also experience higher rates of depressive and substance use disorders, involvement with the justice system, and self-harm and suicide. Many agencies, such as the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provide treatment PTSD, however most programs experience dropout rates as high as 36%. Recent studies have shown that …

Native American Veterans And Mental Health: Culture Vs Modern Medicine, Willis Dean Torres Jr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to determine that, when it comes to mental health, are Native American veterans more inclined to utilize their cultural practices, or seek out modern Western medicine practices to attain mental wellness. The significance behind this research is to help future social workers and social service agencies better understand that perhaps when it comes to Native American veterans’ cultural practices should be taken into consideration when helping to try to attain mental wellness. The study will include interviews conducted with Native American veterans. The data will help to determine which types of practices are better suited for each …

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Cbt) For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) On Veterans And Its Relationship To Suicidal Thoughts, Peggy Erwin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project demonstrates the importance of the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and its relationship to the frequency of suicidal thoughts in veterans through the use of the positivist paradigm. The correlation that was found showing that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy does reduce the frequency of suicide ideation through the collection of quantitative data, and the understanding of Cognitive Learning Theory it is this study offers clinicians another tool to combat suicide in veterans.

Exit Interviews’ Impact On Veterans’ Reintegration From Combat To Civilian Life: A Social Workers Call To Action, Meghann Doane, Natalie Rivera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Combat veterans partake in exit interviews that may be inadequate in addressing their health and mental health needs prior to returning to a civilian lifestyle. Exit interviews have not been thoroughly evaluated from the perspective of veterans to determine their helpfulness in meeting the needs of those that have returned home. It is vital to the reintegration process and quality of life of our veterans to assess their needs as a priority over the feedback and inquiry of potential changes the military can make in the future for active military members, considering many veterans suffer from mental and physical illnesses …

Evaluation Of Interventions Used In The Treatment Of Veterans With Co-Occurring Disorders, Kelly F. Simon, Meghan M. Frawley

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was a qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions used in the treatment of co-occurring disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse. The qualitative assessment was an interview with a number of open ended questions and scales for the respondents to report preference. Interviews were conducted through the Wounded Warriors Project. Participants were males between the ages of 18 and 40, and were of multiple ethnicities. The interview questions primarily addressed whether or not the respondents received services and which services they felt were most beneficial. The interviews were anonymous and confidential, in the interest of …

Social Work Students’ Knowledge Of Veterans’ Needs And Issues, Sylvia H. Samy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The veteran population is under-served. Due to the current circumstances of increased deployment and the rate of returning soldiers from current wars (Iraq and Afghanistan); there is an increased demand for competent social workers to provide them with services. Furthermore, the Department of Veteran Affairs is the number one employer of social workers. Hence, measuring the knowledge of social work students is essential to explore their competence of working with the veteran population. The study presents an exploratory research method, using a quantitative approach. Further, students’ knowledge was measured in ten domains: Benefits and Services, Service Related Disabilities, PTSD/Trauma, Childcare, …

Mental Health Services For Military Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Crystal Lynn Toscano, Kanika Aisha Roberts

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has affected millions of veterans who have served in the United States Military. PTSD causes severe impairments in one's mental health, and is correlated with homelessness, substance abuse, and unemployment. Recently, the United States Department Veterans Affairs has been funded more to improve services of mental health and other health care services. Specifically, this study was interested in exploring the perceptions that veterans have of the quality of services that have been provided for PTSD.

Results indicated that the participants who utilized services felt individual and family therapy services were most helpful in reducing PTSD symptoms. …