Returning Veterans and Human Services Created by: Title Slide

Introduction Human services provide an important service to the community that they serve. There is a large amount of people that can be impacted by events in their lives which will require contact with a human services agency, public or private. One of these target groups are the veterans that are returning to their civilian lives after being in the service of their country.

Summary of Target Population Returning veterans deserve all of the help that they can get after risking their life in military service to the United States, but they are not always getting all of the help that they need. Most individuals may not think of returning veterans as a target population for human services. Many may believe that all of the needs that returning veterans can have are taken care of by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but that is not truly the case. There are great services that Veterans Affairs is able to help returning veterans, but there are so many veterans that need assistance that sometimes other public and private human service organizations need to step in to help this population out. For instance, Veterans Affairs can help offer housing to veterans, but there are limited spaces, so not every veteran is able to get this type of housing.

Target Population Needs Adjusting to civilian life Mental Health Issues Physical Health Issues Homelessness Education Employment The needs of returning veterans can be different in some ways from the needs of some of the other target populations. Some veterans have a hard time accustoming themselves to civilian life, especially those that have been in combat situations. These veterans may also have physical or mental health issues that also make it hard for them to be able to readjust to living outside of the military. Of course, some of the needs that veterans have are the same that other target groups may have, such as being homeless, help with education and finding employment.

Research Outcomes During an interview on NPR, one female solider, Bridgette McCoy made this remark about her homecoming and transition from the service: I really thought that when I got out, I was going to be able to get a job, be able to support my family, you know, have these really great opportunities. But when I got back, I really struggled emotionally. I went through a severe depression. I attempted suicide. I went through many things that - you know, homelessness. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. (NPR, 2012, para. 31) My research discovered that returning veterans can have a very hard time adjusting to being back in society, especially those that saw combat. These individuals can have mental health issues, like stress, PTSD, and depression. This can even lead returning veterans to commit suicide. Returning veterans can also have physical problems, such as missing limbs that can cause them to have problems with mobility or finding employment. It was disturbing to learn how many veterans are homeless during this research. Many times, the needs of this target group are not met because the individuals is worried over asking for help because they do not want a handout or are afraid that others will look down on them because they were not able to do everything themselves. There are better educational programs out there currently that let returning veterans know where they can turn for help, and that there are other veterans that are struggling just like they are struggling.

Greatest Concerns about Human Services People should get help if they are able rather than continue to struggle as they could possibly be making their situation worse. One of my greatest concerns about the current state of the human service industry is that there are so many people out there that need help, but are resistant to getting help for whatever reason. I believe that it is important for someone that is struggling to reach out to someone that is able to help them in some way, even if it is just the smallest gesture for a short period of time. I believe that people who are resistant to getting help because they are afraid of taking resources away from someone they think may be worse off should get the help they need, and when they are able give back to the organization or community.

Other Concerns about Human Services Not enough people to help those in need Another of the concerns that I have about the current state of the human service industry is that with the way that the world is going there will be more individuals that need help than will be able to be helped by an organization. I know that people are turned away from getting help from organizations, such as if a homeless shelter does not have any more beds, but I think that it may get worse before it gets better depending on how the future goes. I know that this concern is especially true for the target population of returning veterans as there are so many people currently serving in warzones that come home feeling damaged from their military service and unsure how to handle it.

Additional Concerns about Human Services Becoming jaded My other concern about the current state of the human service industry is that there are people that are not enthusiastic about their career in the industry, and that might eventually happen to me. I know that it can be a hard field to be in, but knowing that some people are out to get as much as they can and even scam the system must make people jaded about helping people. Of course, everyone is not like that, but it can be easy to see how that could be hard to cope with knowing that others need the help more.

Ideology that Human Service Workers Should Be “Advocates for Social Justice" I completely agree with the ideology that human service workers should be “advocates for social justice” (Burger & Youkeles, p. 336). Human service workers are at times on the front line of dealing with the results of social injustice. According to Segal, Gerdes and Steiner (2010), “To achieve a more just and equal society, it is necessary to first understand the barriers that stand in the way of social justice. … These barriers include prejudice, discrimination, and oppression” (p. 68). A person that works in human services should want to remove these barriers to help those that are unable to get past these barriers in life that are preventing them for making a better life for themselves. Social injustice may seem to be too big an issue for one person, but that does not mean that it should be ignored either. Of course, not everyone needing help requires that help because of social injustice, but that does not mean that these people do not deserve help.

View on Role of Human Service Workers In some ways, my view has changed since beginning this course regarding the role of the human services worker in relation to the future needs of America, and in some ways my view has not changed. I believe that I am more aware of how necessary this career field is, and how challenging it may be due to lack of resources or problems that seem overwhelming. I think that I am more knowledgeable about what the future needs of America will be, and some of the target populations that need help. I also know that I have learned more about my particular target population, returning veterans, and feel a need to help in this area.

Role of Human Services My view has not changed in that I know that this is an important and rewarding career field that needs to have caring people step up and make a difference in the world. I do believe that while I have learned this is a challenging role to have, it would be one that will be very rewarding for me to work in after graduation. I think that this class has helped resolve me to continue going forward with my goal to work in human services.

Application of Knowledge Determining what organization that I want a career with The first way that I will apply the knowledge that I gained from this course to my future human service career by continuing to stay informed about the potential target populations that exist. I believe that I can use this information to help me determine exactly what type of organization that I will want to work with upon graduation. I think that this information will help me to be more attentive to those in need.

Future Human Services Career Will help me make a difference The next way that I will apply the knowledge that I gained from this course to my future human service career is by applying my researching skills for the organization that eventually work for by finding more ways to help. I think that by having to research this target population, regulations regarding it and other information it has given me better tools to understand what to look for in providing services. I believe this will help me make a difference.

Conclusion In conclusion, during this course, I have learned a great deal about the issues that returning veterans can face that require them to seek help along with how human services organizations are able to help. I believe that this is a group of people that truly deserve any help that they need for their service to the country. This course has opened my eyes up to the challenges and potential enrichment that I will go through after I graduate and gain a job at an organization. I have learned about myself that I still want to work in this field, even after learning more about how difficult it can be to work in.

References NPR. (2012, August 20). The Challenges Female Vets Face When Coming Home. NPR. Retrieved December 1, 2012, from http://www.npr.org/2012/08/20/15935158 0/the-challenges-female-vets-face-when- coming-home Segal, E. A., Gerdes, K. E., & Steiner, S. (2010). An introduction to the profession of social work: becoming a change agent (3rd ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.