Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Understanding and Intervening With Military Personnel and Their Families: An Overview
About the Editors
About the Contributors
Part I: Foundations of Social Work With Service Members and Veterans
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Social Work With the Military and Veterans
World War I and Its Aftermath
World War II and Its Aftermath
The Korean War and the Start of the Vietnam War: 1950–1970
Conclusion
Chapter 2: Military Culture and Diversity
Introduction
Military Cultural Competence and Counseling
Military Culture: Values and Beliefs
Distinctive Characteristics of Military Culture
The Military as an Organization
Combat Readiness: Mission of the U.S. Military
Military Culture and Civilian Society
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Women in the Military
Introduction
Gender
Military-Related Sexual Harassment and Assault
Married Women in the Military
Menses and Pregnancy
Bisexual and Lesbian Service Members
Health in Women Veterans
Treatment Implications and Case Application
Conclusion
Chapter 4: Ethical Decision Making in Military Social Work
The Military Context as the Dominant Paradigm
Ethical Dilemma: Dual Loyalty Issues
Ethical Dilemma: Confidentiality and Privacy Issues
Ethical Dilemma: Hierarchy and Power Issues
Legal and Moral Contexts for Ethical Dilemmas
Models for Ethical Decision Making
Conclusion
Chapter 5: Secondary Trauma in Military Social Work
Defining Secondary Trauma and Related Terms
Assessing Secondary Trauma
Treating Secondary Trauma
Preventing Secondary Trauma: Policy, Organizational, and Personal Strategies
Conclusion
Part II: Interventions for the Behavioral Health Problems of Service Members and Veterans
Chapter 6: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Veterans
Introduction
Posttraumatic Stress: DSM Diagnostic Criteria
Psychosocial Models of Posttraumatic Stress
Conclusion
Chapter 7: The Neurobiology of PTSD and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
The Neurobiology of PTSD
PTSD as a Memory Disorder
The Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex
Emotional Versus Episodic Memory
Memory Consolidation and Reconsolidation
PTSD-Related Psychotherapies
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Conclusion
Chapter 8: Treating Combat-Related PTSD With Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
The Military Health Care Challenge
Introduction to Clinical Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality Exposure
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy using Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan
Suggestions for the Use of Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan for VRE
Overview of VRE using Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan
Conclusion
Chapter 9: Psychopharmacology for PTSD and Co-Occurring Disorders
Introduction
Antidepressants
Benzodiazepines
Antipsychotics
Medication Adherence
Combining Psychotherapy and Medications
Managing Comorbid Medical and Psychiatric Issues
Gender Issues
Cases
Conclusion
Chapter 10: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the Military
Overview
Diagnostic Considerations and Severity
Moderate to Severe TBI in the Military
Treatment and Recovery Following Moderate to Severe TBI
Mild TBI in the Military
Additional MTBI Diagnostic Considerations
Treatment and Recovery Following MTBI
Co-Occurring Recovery Considerations
Conclusions and Future Considerations
Chapter 11: TBI and Social Work Practice
Contact
Problem Identification, Data Collection, and Assessment
Case Planning
Intervention
Evaluation
Termination
Conclusion
Chapter 12: Assessing, Preventing, and Treating Substance Use Disorders in Active Duty Military Settings
Prevention
Assessment
Armed Forces Treatment Programs
Two Empirically Supported Outpatient Treatment Approaches
An Ecosystem Perspective for Treating Veterans With Comorbid Substance Abuse Disorders and Other Disorders
The Role of the Chaplain
Conclusion
Chapter 13: Preventing and Intervening With Substance Use Disorders in Veterans
Co-Occurring Disorders
Prevention and Treatment Programs
Prevention for Active Duty Personnel
Transition to Veteran Status
Prevention Within the VA
Treatment at the VA and Other Programs
Continuing Care
Conclusion
Chapter 14: Suicide in the Military
Potential Military Suicide Risk Factors
Military Suicide Prevention Gaps
Building Resilience: Suicide Prevention in the Context of Total Force Fitness
Discussion
Conclusion
Part III: Veterans and Systems of Care
Chapter 15: Homelessness Among Veterans
Introduction
Causes and Prevalence of Veteran Homelessness
Housing and Urban Development VA-Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP)
Project Chaleng: The VA’s Community Network Intervention
New VA Programs Designed to Prevent Homelessness
Homeless Veterans Stand Down
Medication Compliance and Prognosis for Ending Homelessness
Outreach Considerations
Clinical Issues in Working With the Veteran Homeless Population: With an Emphasis on Social Worker Self-Care and Safety
Self-Care and Burnout Prevention
Cost Benefit of Psychosocial Support and Case Management
Conclusion
Chapter 16: Navigating Systems of Care
Introduction
Basic Eligibility and Enrollment
Priority Groups
Combat Veterans
Service-Connected Disabilities and Compensation
Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn Veterans
Vet Centers
Homeless Veterans Program
Military Sexual Trauma
Suicide Prevention
Transition Assistance
Women Veterans
Conclusion
Chapter 17: Transitioning Veterans into Civilian Life
Introduction
Transition
Disabled Transition Assistance
Wounded Service Members and Military Programs
Military to Civilian Transition
Factors Relating to Transition
Transitioning from Military to Higher Education
Educational Benefits
A Brief History of the GI Bill
Connecting to the Community
Transitioning into Civilian Employment
Female Veterans
Reintegration Skills Training
Conclusion
Part IV: Families Impacted by Military Service
Chapter 18: A Brief History of U.S. Military Families and the Role of Social Workers
The Revolutionary (1775–1783) and Civil War Eras (1861–1865)
World War I Era: (1914–1918)
Families and World War II Era: (1941–1945)
The Korean War Era: (1950–1953)
The Vietnam War: (1954–1975)
The Persian Gulf War: (August 1990–March 1991)
The Global War on Terror (2001–)
Conclusion
Chapter 19: Cycle of Deployment and Family Well-Being
Combat Stress
Deployment Stressors
Predeployment
Deployment/Sustainment
Redeployment/Postdeployment
Deployment impact on Military Families
Deployment impact on Spouses and Marital Relationships
Children impacted by Military Service
Child Abuse
Case Vignettes
Conclusion
Chapter 20: Supporting National Guard and Reserve Members and their Families
Portrait of Reservist Families
Interventions to Mitigate Deployment impact on Families
Conclusion
Chapter 21: The Exceptional Family Member Program: Helping Special Needs Children in Military Families
Introduction
Military and Disability Culture—Two Worlds
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
Personnel Assignment
Civilian Services for EFMP Families
Family Support Services for EFMP Families—Military and Civilian
Conclusion
Chapter 22: Grief, Loss, and Bereavement in Military Families
Suicide Bereavement
Issues That Influence Suicide Bereavement
Survivors of a Military Suicide Loss and the Associated Complexities
Circumstances of the Death and Condition of Bodily Remains
Geography of the Death/Geography of the Survivor
Age of Decedents/Age of Survivors
Commitment to Service
Death Notification
The Immediate impact to Survivors
Secondary and Multiple Losses
Additional Challenges Facing Military Suicide Loss Survivors
Chapter 23: The Stress Process Model for Supporting Long-Term Family Caregiving
Introduction
Scope of the Issues
Who are the Caregivers of Military Service Members and Veterans Today?
What is the Stress Process Model?
Using the Stress Process Model to Guide Assessments of Caregivers of Wounded Warriors
Background and Context of Stress
Stressors
Mediators of Stress
Outcomes or Manifestations of Stress
Applying the Stress Process Model to Guide Assessments of Caregivers
Conclusion
Chapter 24: Family-Centered Programs and Interventions for Military Children and Youth
Background and Overview
Composition of Families in the Military
The impact of Military Culture on Families
Parental Separation and Deployment
The Family-Centered Approach
Programs, Interventions, and Resources
Conclusion
Chapter 25: Couple Therapy for Redeployed Military and Veteran Couples
Introduction
Rationale
Key Principles of Clinical Social Work Practice
Synthesis of Theory Models
Role of Gender
Phase-Oriented Couple Therapy With Military and Veteran Couples
Conclusion
Chapter 26: Theory and Practice With Military Couples and Families
Stressors
Theoretical Models
An Introduction to Veteran Injury and impact on the Family
Rationale for Family-Based Interventions
Assessment
Empirically Informed Therapies
Conclusion
Appendix: Veteran Organizations and Military Family Resources
Glossary of Military Terms
Author Index
Subject Index
Praise for Handbook of Military Social Work
“This is an important book for anyone interested in providing care for our recent veterans and their loved ones. It provides a sophisticated, thoughtful orientation for nonmilitary clinicians. The discussion of military culture and diversity is especially comprehensive and brings together concepts that clinicians need to understand if they are to provide the best possible treatment for our military and their families. I highly recommend it!”
—Judith Broder, MD, Founder/Director, The Soldiers Project
“This handbook is a vital work for social work students as well as practitioners who are or plan to be engaged with veterans and their families. The chapters’ authors represent a who’s who of leading researchers and practitioners as they delve into the wide range of challenges, strengths, and interventions that social workers need to learn about. The text is also built around the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)’s 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards while reflecting an evidence-based approach to practice. All social workers should become familiar with this important work. Rubin, Weiss, and Coll call us to stand firmly by our professional and civic responsibilities to these warriors and their families. To do otherwise would be the social work profession’s shame.”
—Ira C. Colby, DSW, LCSW, Dean and Professor of Social Work, University of Houston
“Wow, this is an extremely comprehensive and easy-to-read handbook regarding all aspects of military social work. The authors and editors have done a fantastic job of covering military life from the perspective of the serving members, veterans, and their families. This handbook will be of use to students and to experienced practitioners.”
—Nicola T. Fear, PhD, Reader in Epidemiology, King’s Centre for Military Health Research, King’s College, London
“The editors of this handbook have literally written to meet Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) Core Competencies of the field of social work. The 26 chapters provide a comprehensive guide to understanding and helping within the military culture. This book fills a void in military social work and will become one of the most referenced handbooks of its kind.”
—Professor Charles R. Figley, PhD, Paul Henry Kurzweg Distinguished Chair in Disaster Mental Health at Tulane University and School of Social Work Professor and Associate Dean for Research
“This handbook is a comprehensive and invaluable resource. It has relevance for all health professionals helping service members and families impacted by recent military operations.”
—Colonel Rakesh Jetly, OMM, CO, MD, FRCPC, Psychiatrist and Mental Health Advisor to Surgeon General of Canada, Ottawa
“An excellent text that offers a lot of valuable information to social work students or professionals (especially nonveterans) who want to serve this population. Service members are a unique population because of their experience in war and the dramatic impact that can have on them and their families. An understanding of this culture is essential in order to provide them the services they need to reintegrate successfully.”
—Stephen Peck, MSW, USMC, Vietnam Veteran, President/CEO, United States Veterans Initiative
“This book is a superb collection that will inform, educate, and inspire both social work students and practitioners in their commitment to provide the very best services to service members and their families. The challenges facing military personnel and their families are daunting. This volume meets a critical need in the preparation of practitioners who will meet those needs in the target population. I endorse it most highly.”
—Julia M. Watkins, PhD, Executive Director Emerita, Council on Social Work Education, Alexandria, Virginia
Cover Design: Andrew Liefer
Cover Images; Backgound image: © Sava Alexandru/iStockphoto, Inset wheelchair image: © Mehmet Yunus Yesil/iStockphoto, Inset soldier image: © Daniel Bendjy/iStockphoto, Inset family counseling image: © Miodrag Gajic/iStockphoto, Inset father/daughter image: © Jason Swarr/iStockphoto, Inset family silhouette image: © kfotos/iStockphoto, Inset family image: © Blend Images/Alamy
Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Handbook of military social work/edited by Allen Rubin, Eugenia L. Weiss, Jose E. Coll.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-118-06783-3 (cloth)
ISBN 978-1-118-33094-4 (e-bk)
ISBN 978-1-118-33022-7 (e-bk)
ISBN 978-1-118-33305-1 (e-bk)
1. Military social work—United States—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. United States. Armed Forces—Mental health services—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Rubin, Allen. II. Weiss, Eugenia L. III. Coll, Jose E.
UH755.H36 2013
362.8—dc23
2012020185
This book is dedicated to our brave men and women service members, veterans, and their families, who have unselfishly sacrificed so much for us to enjoy the freedoms provided by this great nation, and to social work faculty members, practitioners, and students dedicated to supporting the heroes of our past, present, and future generations.
About the Contributors
David L. Albright, PhD, MS, MSW, is an assistant professor of social work, coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Military Social Work, and director of the Center for Education and Research for Veterans and Military Families at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He is a former Army infantry officer. His expertise is in military and veteran health care services and treatments of combat-related polytrauma. Dr. Albright is the managing editor for Research on Social Work Practice and is on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research and the Campbell Collaboration’s Social Welfare Group.
Sarah Asmussen, PhD, is the co-senior scientific director/neuropsychologist at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Camp Pendleton, serving active duty Marines. She is also a part-time lecturer at USC. She completed formal training at Palo Alto University, a Stanford Affiliate and specialized in treatment/assessment of various neurological conditions at the Palo Alto VA and James A. Haley VA. She also completed a 2-year fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute specializing in neuropsychology with a focus on epilepsy, rehabilitation, and acute injury. She has presented at professional meetings nationally, lectured extensively in California, and trained providers regionally.
Willie G. Barnes has a doctorate degree in marriage and family systems. Colonel Barnes served 23 years as Chaplain in the Army National Guard. He served on the Functionality Advisory Council for the Joint Chaplaincy strategic goals for National Guard Bureau. He has presented on a national level on the subjects of spiritual resiliency, military culture, deployment dynamics, suicide prevention, and war-related injuries. Dr. Barnes is former associate professor of practical theology and visiting lecturer for universities in Peru and Jamaica. He is a clinical fellow and supervisor member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy with 25 years of clinical, academic, and military experience.
Kathryn Basham, PhD, LICSW, professor, co-director of the PhD program and editor of the Smith College Studies in Social Work, engages in research, writing, practice, and education related to the reintegration of service members, veterans, and their families. She earned her MSW and PhD degrees in clinical social work. She has been appointed to three congressionally mandated committees with the Institute of Medicine, charged to evaluate approaches that enhance the mental health of military families. She was honored as a distinguished clinical practitioner with the National Academies of Practice, authored and co-authored several texts and papers, and presented nationally and internationally.
Cynthia Boyd, PhD, is a neuropsychologist and co-senior scientific director at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at Naval Medical Center San Diego. In this position, she evaluates military personnel returning from combat with traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder. Dr. Boyd presents nationally on a variety of neuropsychological issues related to traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and malingering of cognitive and psychological symptoms. She also has an independent practice in forensic neuropsychology specializing in criminal and civil evaluations of brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, violent offenders, and stalking behavior.
Bruce Capehart, MD, MBA, is the OEF/OIF program medical director at the Durham VA Medical Center and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine. His clinical interests are psychiatric evaluation and management of combat veterans with particular concern for neurologic conditions such as traumatic brain injury. His research interests include PTSD and the biomechanics and pathophysiology of blast injury. He has worked as a consultant to the U.S. Army on combat trauma and as an expert witness in civilian blast injury litigation. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve. In 2003 he completed a tour in Afghanistan.
Rachel Burda-Chmielewski, MSW, LISW, is a licensed clinical social worker at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Diego, California. She works with the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program, specializing in assessment and treatment of veterans with co-occuring substance use disorders and PTSD. She has also worked with active duty service members and their families through internships with the Air Force as well as the Marine Corps Family Service Centers.
Edward V. Carrillo, MSW, LCSW, is a clinical social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs, San Diego Health Care System. His expertise includes the treatment of persons with combat and crime victim PTSD and outreach to homeless veterans in the VA Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program. He is a part-time field instructor and community field immersion lecturer for the University of Southern California Graduate School of Social Work. He is a Vietnam combat veteran and he was recently ordained into the Order of Interbeing, a Zen Buddhist community.
Colanda Cato, PhD, MA, is a licensed clinical psychologist and PTSD and violence prevention subject matter expert at the Defense Centers of Excellence, Resilience and Prevention Directorate. She has developed and conducted briefings for senior military leaders on risk and prevention factors related to PTSD, suicide, and violence in the military and has presented at numerous conferences across the country. She currently oversees research on resilience and prevention factors and program evaluation. She serves as a chair, co-chair, and an active member of various military working groups and has served as an assistant professor of psychology. Dr. Cato has more than 11 years of military experience and is a distinguished Air Force veteran psychologist.
Allison N. Clark, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also a research scientist at the Brain Injury Research Center at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Her areas of interest include emotional functioning following acquired brain injury, knowledge translation, group interventions, and cognitive rehabilitation. Dr. Clark has presented at numerous national and regional conferences, and has co-authored more than 30 published articles and abstracts, including 16 peer-reviewed publications.
Joseph J. Costello, MA, MSW, is the team leader of the San Marcos, California Veterans Center. He has been employed at the Department of Veterans Affairs since 1994, focusing on readjustment concerns of returning combat veterans and their families. His expertise is in the treatment of combat-related PTSD and substance use disorders. Mr. Costello has lectured nationwide on readjustment and transition issues of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. He also teaches continuing education courses on military culture at the University of Southern California Center for Innovation and Research. Mr. Costello is a veteran of the Afghanistan Campaign and retired from the Army Reserve in 2010.
Todd Creager, MSW, is an adjunct lecturer at the USC School of Social Work. He is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed marriage and family therapist. He is known for his work with couples and sexual issues and is an author of The Long, Hot Marriage, which helps couples rekindle passion and aliveness. He has also been published in numerous articles on couples, communication, and sexuality. He has a private practice in Orange County, California, and has been on a variety of TV and radio shows as a relationship expert.
Judith Cukor, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. She has worked extensively in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in diverse populations including military personnel, disaster workers, and burn survivors. Dr. Cukor provides training and supervision in specialized treatments for PTSD and has authored scientific articles and book chapters on trauma-related disorders. She is a consultant to the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and is a co-investigator on several studies concerned with developing treatments for PTSD in diverse trauma populations.
James G. Daley, PhD, MSW, LCSW, is an associate professor at the Indiana University School of Social Work. He has published and presented on international military social work, is co-editor of a special issue in spring 2012 on military social work in Advances in Social Work, was keynote speaker at the 2010 Uniformed Services Social Work Annual Conference, and served on the steering committee that developed the Competencies in Military Social Work guidelines for CSWE. He has served as a curricular consultant on military social work to several universities. He was editor of Social Work Practice in the Military.
Julie D’Amico, MA, is an intervention delivery support specialist for FOCUS at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Ms. D’Amico is an experienced therapist and parent educator, with expertise working with children with developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges. Ms. D’Amico received her MA in counseling psychology. Prior to her work with FOCUS Ms. D’Amico also served as a volunteer at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA to support children with severe medical illnesses and their families.
Tara DeBraber, MEd, MSW, is a social worker with the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program at the San Diego VA. She is a 2012 military spouse fellow with the FINRA foundation for the Accredited Financial Counselor Program. Ms. DeBraber is also a caseworker with Navy Marine Corps Relief Society.
JoAnn Difede, PhD, is a professor of psychology in psychiatry and director of the Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Difede specializes in treating anxiety, mood, and trauma-related disorders, and has worked extensively with 9/11 World Trade Center survivors, burn patients, disaster workers, and military personnel. She has pioneered the application of virtual reality posttrauma and is the principal investigator of several studies of innovative treatments for PTSD. She serves on the scientific advisory board of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the advisory board of the Jericho Project, and supervises VR treatment at military medical centers around the country.
Keita Franklin, PhD, LCSW, is the branch head for behavioral health at headquarters, United States Marine Corps. She administers the programs Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Combat Operational Stress Control, and Substance Abuse. She directs the policy, future planning, training, technical assistance, resource management, and advocacy efforts for the branch. Her expertise centers on the impact of deployment and PTSD on military family members. She has published and lectured on numerous topics impacting military service members and their families, including deployment stress, secondary trauma, women’s issues in the military, parenting in the military, and behavioral health needs of today’s service members.
Ediza Garcia, PsyD, is a model supervisor for the Nathanson Family Resilience Center at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She has specialized training in the prevention and treatment of child and family traumatic stress. Dr. Garcia is the co-developer of the FOCUS for Military Couples Resilience Training Manual. She serves as a consultant for the National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple Family Retreat. Dr. Garcia is the clinical coordinator for the UCLA Child and Family Trauma Psychiatry Service, where she trains child psychiatry fellows in the facilitation of strength-based, trauma-informed therapeutic assessments.
Maryrose Gerardi, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. She provides cognitive behavior therapy services and supervision through the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, and has therapist and supervisory roles in ongoing research studies examining virtual reality exposure therapy and prolonged exposure therapy for the treatment of military-related PTSD. She also trains professionals in the use of virtual reality exposure therapy.
Fran Goldfarb, MA, MCHES, is the director of family support at the USC UCEDD at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, one of 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities nationwide. She is a master certified health education specialist but her role within the UCEDD is based on her life experience as the parent of a child on the autism spectrum—now a young adult. She has extensive experience in assisting systems to provide parent training and support, and in training professionals to work with parents as partners. She is the founder of the Los Angeles Asperger Syndrome Parent Support Group.
Christina Harnett, PhD, MBA, is a licensed psychologist and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Education. She has been active in the Maryland National Guard’s deployment cycle support programs in both training and curriculum development and has published on the impact of reservist culture on military members and families and the challenges of reintegration for the veteran. She has participated on state and national committees focusing on military behavioral health issues and is actively engaged in building capacity among behavioral health providers in Maryland through outreach training. She is a major in the Maryland Defense Force/10th Medical Regiment and on the editorial board of the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health.
Jesse J. Harris, PhD, professor and dean emeritus, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore is a retired U.S. Army colonel. His assignments included Walter Reed Army Institute of Research where he was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. His publications include experiences with Peacekeepers in the Sinai Desert as well as his State Department assignment to Mozambique to assess the condition of captured child soldiers. Dr. Harris has also written extensively on the history of military social work. He has lectured internationally and serves on civic and veterans agency boards.
Helena Harvie, MSSW, completed one internship with the Central Texas Veteran’s Health Care System and another internship at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, working with active duty service members suffering from severe PTSD. She has conducted research on working with military personnel and helped develop a course on social work with military personnel and families at the University of Texas at Austin.
Anthony M. Hassan, EdD, LCSW, is the director of the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families (CIR) at the University of Southern California. He is a retired Air Force officer who brings 25 years of experience in military social work and leadership. Dr. Hassan served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 on the first-ever Air Force combat stress control and prevention team embedded with an Army unit. His scholarship encompasses a diverse array of publications and presentations in social work, leadership, and higher education administration. Dr. Hassan led the CSWE Task Force for the development of national guidelines for military social work.
Matthew Jeffreys, MD, is associate professor of psychiatry at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He has been PCT Medical Director for the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System since 1995 and has served as a PTSD mentor for VISN 17 through the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) since 2008. He consulted for the NCPTSD’s Consultation Program from 2010 to 2011. Other service has included participation as a member of the working group revising the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD. Interests include ongoing educational and research projects related to the treatment of PTSD.
Jill Harrington-LaMorie, DSW, LCSW, is the senior field researcher at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, National Military Family Bereavement Study and the former director of professional education at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). She has extensive clinical experience working with individuals and families affected by trauma, grief, and loss. Dr. LaMorie is one of the first published authors on the subject of bereavement in U.S. military families. She has been an invited presenter for several universities, nonprofit organizations, the military, and hospices. Dr. LaMorie serves on the board of the Association for Death Education & Counseling; a peer reviewer for Omega-Journal for Death and Dying and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers. She is active with different charities that work with bereaved, veterans and military families.
Suzanne Leaman, PhD, is a research psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Emory University. She has worked with trauma survivors from diverse populations such as refugees, veterans, and active duty service members and has focused her research interests on the treatment and identification of PTSD and related disorders. Dr. Leaman has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and presented the results of studies on PTSD and interpersonal violence at international conferences and symposiums. She is currently a co-investigator on studies researching treatments for and early predictors of PTSD.
Gregory A. Leskin, PhD, serves as director, Military Families Initiatives at the UCLA National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and serves as liaison for FOCUS Project and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). He has provided education, training, program development, evaluation and consultation on PTSD, TBI, anxiety disorders, resiliency training, child traumatic stress, and evidence-based interventions to the Department of Defense and Department of Veteran Affairs. He has published more than 30 scientific articles and book chapters on these topics.
Patricia Lester, MD, is the Jane and Marc Nathanson Family Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA Semel Institute. She directs the FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) Project, a family resilience program for military families, and co-directs the UCLA Welcome Back Veterans Family Resilience Center. Dr. Lester’s research and clinical work are dedicated to the development, evaluation, and implementation of family-centered interventions for families and children facing traumatic events, parental illness, and wartime deployments. She has published more than 40 research articles and book chapters on the foregoing topics.
James (Jim) Martin, PhD, BCD, is a professor of social work and social research at Bryn Mawr College. His scholarship, teaching, and public service focus on social and behavioral health issues; and his research and civic engagement address military and veteran populations. A retired Army colonel, Jim’s 26-year career in the Army Medical Department included clinical, research, as well as senior management (command) and policy assignments. Jim was the senior social work officer in the Persian Gulf theater of operations during the first Gulf War and edited The Gulf War and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide.
Monica M. Matthieu, PhD, MSW, LCSW, is a research assistant professor at Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work. She worked from 1995 until 2000 as a clinical social worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Readjustment Counseling Service’s Veterans Resource Center in New Orleans. In 2008, she returned to work at the St. Louis VA Medical Center as a research social worker. With her joint appointment at the VA and the Brown School she continues to focus on veterans’ issues and conduct research on the implementation of evidence-based practices, trauma treatment, and violence and injury prevention.
Deborah McGough, BA, is currently a manager of both the Exceptional Family Member Program and the School Liaison Program supporting a Marine corps base and multiple units at other armed forces installations in California and was the EFMP Manager for the Army for 4½ years. With formal training in psychology with special emphasis in children with disabilities and life experience as a foster parent of children with multiple disabilities, her expertise is in coordinating and leveraging civilian and military resources for and advocating on behalf of active duty EFMP families.
Michael Metal is an MSW candidate of 2013 and is a medically retired Navy veteran. He has a concentration on mental health with a focus on military social work. He is actively involved in multiple charitable endeavors with a focus on the above. Michael has presented nationwide on veteran worldviews and is published on the same subject.
Catherine E. Mogil, PsyD, is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the David Geffen School of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as the director of training and intervention development for the Nathanson Family Resilience Center and the co-director of the Child and Family Trauma Service. Dr. Mogil is a co-developer of programs for military families and provides consultation and subject matter expertise for military family service organizations including National Military Family Association, Uniformed Services University, and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Aaron Nowlin, CADC 2, BA, is a drug and alcohol counselor at the Veterans Affairs hospital in La Jolla, California. His expertise is in treating those with the diagnoses of chemical abuse or chemical dependence, specifically with active duty military and veterans. He has been employed by the VA for the past 5 years and, prior to that spent his final 3½ years in the military employed at a residential treatment facility, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) Point Loma. While at SARP, he provided treatment to active duty service members who were diagnosed with chemical dependence.
Caleb Yoon Ra, LCSW, is currently a senior social worker with the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Clinic at the San Diego VA Healthcare Systems. He case manages chronically homeless veterans throughout the San Diego County.
Prior to his work with the Veterans Health Administration he served 8 years with the United States Marine Corp conducting combat engineering missions throughout the Syian Desert in Iraq. He completed two combat tours (2003, 2005) before being honorably discharged as a sergeant.
Albert “Skip” Rizzo, PhD, is an associate director at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and a research professor in psychiatry and in gerontology. Skip’s expertise is in the research and development of Virtual Reality systems for clinical assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. His R&D group created the Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan VR exposure therapy system for treating PTSD in service members and veterans. Additionally, he has authored more than 200 scientific papers and chapters on his other work using VR across a range of psychological, cognitive, and motor clinical health conditions in both civilian and military populations.
Jennifer Roberts, MSW, LCSW, is a part-time adjunct professor of social work at the University of Southern California. She is the Women Veteran Program Manager at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. She has expertise on issues affecting women veterans. She presents throughout San Diego County on issues involving military families and women veterans.
Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, PhD, is a professor in psychiatry, associate vice chair of clinical research, and director of the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program at Emory. She specializes in research on the treatment of individuals with anxiety disorders, has authored more than 200 scientific papers and chapters and six books. She is a past president of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, is on the Boards for the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, and is a pioneer in the application of virtual reality to the treatment of psychological disorders and co-founded Virtually Better (www.virtuallybetter.com).
Allison Santoyo, MSW, is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Social Work. She is currently registered with the Board of Behavioral Sciences and obtaining hours toward licensure. She is employed at an acute hospital as a medical social worker serving a diverse population including medical surgical patients, maternal child health, and patients suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
Jimmy Stehberg, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Universidad Andres Bello of Chile. His expertise is in research of memory and psychiatric disorders, conducting research in both rodents and humans. He has published several research articles and book chapters on memory. Dr. Stehberg is the director of the Neurobiology Laboratory and associate researcher at the Institute for Biomedicine of the Universidad Andres Bello.
Margaret A. Struchen, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist and manager of psychology and neuropsychology services at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital. She is also assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. She has extensive experience in providing psychological services to inpatients and outpatients with brain injury and other neurological injuries or illnesses. Dr. Struchen has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous federally funded research and training projects regarding rehabilitation of persons with traumatic brain injury, including co-principal investigator for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Integration of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury.
Angela B. Swensen, BS, Ronald E. McNair Scholar (2010), is an MSW student in mental health services with a research specialization at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. She completed a research and development internship with the Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Louis and is currently completing her second VA internship with Veterans Justice Outreach.
Barbara Yoshioka Wheeler, PhD, RN, is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and associate director, USC UCEDD at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles—one of 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities nationwide. She has 30 years of experience in graduate training and in building capacity in systems to serve individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. As the daughter of a career Army sergeant, the nation’s interest in supporting military families refocused her academic work on the Exceptional Family Member Program. She served on the President’s Committee on Mental Retardation 1995-2000.
LTC Jeffrey S. Yarvis, PhD, is the deputy commander for Behavioral Health at the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and is an assistant professor of Family Medicine at the Uniformed Services University if the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland and adjunct professor of social work at Virginia Commonwealth, the University of Windsor (Canada) and the University of Houston. Honored as the 2008 U.S. Army and Uniformed Services Social Worker of the Year, he has presented on, treated, and researched the mental health concerns of military beneficiaries worldwide for 24 years. He recently published a book on subthreshold PTSD in veterans.
About the Editors
Allen Rubin, PhD, is the Bert Kruger Smith Centennial Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has been a faculty member since 1979. He is internationally known for his many publications pertaining to research and evidence-based practice. In 1997 he was a co-recipient of the Society for Social Work and Research Award for Outstanding Examples of Published Research. He has served as a consulting editor for seven professional journals. He was a founding member of the Society for Social Work and Research and served as its president from 1998 to 2000. In 1993 he received the University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2007 he received the Council on Social Work Education’s Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award. In 2010 he was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
Eugenia L. Weiss, PsyD, LCSW, is currently clinical assistant professor at the University of Southern California, School of Social Work, where she is lead instructor in the social work practice with military families class, the mental health concentration coordinator for USC’s Virtual Academic Center (VAC), and the co-coordinator for the military social work subconcentration on the VAC. Dr. Weiss has maintained a private practice for 18 years with an emphasis on treating military personnel and their families. She is the co-recipient of the International Association of Health, Wellness, & Society Publication Award for the paper titled, The Influence of Military Culture and Veteran Worldviews on Mental Health Treatment: Practice Implications for Combat Veteran Help-Seeking and Wellness. She is the author and co-author of multiple peer-reviewed journal publications and is co-author of a book titled A Civilian Counselor’s Primer to Counseling Veterans (2nd ed.), 2011. Dr. Weiss serves on the editorial board for the Military Behavioral Health Journal.
Jose E. Coll, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Social Work at Saint Leo University and director of Veteran Student Services, where he has been a faculty member since 2011. Prior to joining Saint Leo University Dr. Coll was a clinical associate professor at the University of Southern California, School of Social Work as director of the San Diego Academic Center and Chair of Military Social Work. In 2012 he was the co-recipient of the International Association of Health, Wellness, & Society Publication Award for the co-authored paper titled, The Influence of Military Culture and Veteran Worldviews on Mental Health Treatment: Practice Implications for Combat Veteran Help-Seeking and Wellness. Dr. Coll is the author and co-author of multiple peer-reviewed journal publications on military social work and is co-author of a book titled A Civilian Counselor’s Primer to Counseling Veterans (2nd ed.), 2011. He is a graduate of Harvard’s Management Development Program (MDP). Dr. Coll is a Marine Corps veteran.
Foreword
It’s about time! Finally, a book has been written to inform community social workers and other behavioral health providers about military culture, challenges, and clinical practices for military personnel, veterans, and their families. This type of book has been missing from our classrooms and professional bookshelves and is long overdue.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now the longest-running wars in U.S. history. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) are being fought with a small, all-volunteer military made up of less than 1% of the U.S. population. What motivates individuals to enlist? Many of the men and women who have been fighting these wars joined the military because they were inspired by a sense of patriotism or were continuing a family tradition of military service. Whatever the reason for joining, these individuals enter the ranks prepared to give their lives for their country. Nevertheless, they and their families have grown weary after a decade of war.