Sep 1, 2012 By: wpadmin
August 30, 2012, New York, NY鈥斆咳沾蠊镶檚 Wurzweiler School of Social Work will offer a new Certificate in Social Practice with the Military this fall.
The American military engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq has lasted over a decade, and advances in medical technology and Kevlar armor have led to unprecedented numbers of soldiers surviving battle wounds to return to civilian life in the United States. Many must learn to adapt to a life with physical injuries or disabilities, while an estimated 20% of returning service members are diagnosed with major mental health problems. This has created an overwhelming strain on Department of Defense hospitals and Veterans Administration facilities, which soldiers typically turn to for care.
Wurzweiler hopes to relieve some of that burden by equipping its graduates to treat veterans in their agencies as well as in outpatient mental health settings and private practices.
鈥淭he goal of Wurzweiler鈥檚 Certificate in Social Work Practice with the Military is to highlight the specialized knowledge, skills and values associated with working with soldiers in the military, returning veterans and their families,鈥 said Dr. Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, dean of Wurzweiler. 鈥淲e want to educate and train social work students who will be capable of addressing the unique physical and mental challenges, as well as transitional needs, of this population.鈥
Students in the certificate program will take three elective courses and conduct supervised field work in an agency that serves the military, such as VAs, Vet Centers and Family Readiness facilities. Courses such as 鈥淪ocial Work Practice with the Military,鈥 鈥淐oping with Loss,鈥 鈥淭rauma and Interpersonal Violence,鈥 and 鈥淐linical Practice with the Military Family,鈥 are designed to familiarize students with prominent issues and approaches to care, including emphases on topics such as the culture of the military, the impact of war on soldiers and their families, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and coping with loss of limbs, among others.
鈥淲e see numbers and parades, but most of us have no idea what soldiers or their loved ones go through,鈥 said Dr. Joan Beder, professor of social work at Wurzweiler. Beder initially developed the school鈥檚 鈥淪ocial Work Practice with the Military鈥 course and will oversee the certificate program. 鈥淲e also have difficulty grasping the ripple effects of someone engaged in war. At Wurzweiler, we are at the forefront of this field, training social service workers who can understand the complete gamut of experiences that men and women have in the military.鈥
The Certificate in Social Work Practice with the Military is one of four offered at Wurzweiler. Students can also pursue specialties in Jewish communal work, gerontology and child welfare.
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