What veterans undergo through after military life

Veterans in the military are increasingly being diagnosed with mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other disorders brought on by drug usage in the United States. Department of Veterans Affairs (2017). Peer support, care managers, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners are some of the few professionals who are qualified to provide group and individual therapy, case management, and medical management services to these populations. Every veteran with one of these illnesses must be assigned to a professional team that consists of those people. I've developed an interest in pursuing a career based on these demands after becoming aware of develop my career along these part so that I can provide a helping hand to them. Another reason why I have developed the interest is that the elderly have stories of real life as well as their long-term military life. I would like to here these stories and write a book about military life that will be helpful to those willing to join military and make it a career.

I have started my career paths by working in the US department of veteran affairs as a social worker in the clinical department, White City, Oregon, US. where I would want to consider joining the VA Career Transition Assistance program (CTAP). The responsibilities and roles that I currently execute include;

Readjustments in the society through partnership with home cares, transitional housing site, nursing home, adult day care, and other agency home care.

Cognitive processing and exposure therapy in disorder clinics dealing with post-trauma stress, treatment arrangements related to drug abuse as well as metal illnesses clinics.

I also provide voluntary work in mental health, geriatrics, and other clinical services. I ensure that comprehensive medical services have been executed for the benefit of the veterans in the city’s medical catchment regions. BTL Technologies Inc, (2017). I also serve the military and veteran families though the provision of health care, food and housing U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, (2017).

My long-term professional goals

Currently I am a social worker 4 – classified WAE and my long-term career path will end when I will be a social worker-Veterans’ Justice Outreach. This is the senior most social worker in the department. The person who qualified to take this senior most job should be a certified or licensed to practice as a social worker independently.

To start my long-term career path I will enroll for Masters Program for social work in Council on Social Work Education from a recognized institution which will take about three years according to my performance, then apply for a license of Clinical Social Work within the jurisdiction of the U.S. as I still work for the department for about five years working as a clinical social worker to gain experience needed for my promotion or qualification for a higher rank. After obtaining the license, all I will need to gain experience, going for additional and relevant programs while working to gain more knowledge about the work and make sure the license is not revoked. I will need to further my studies to PHD level so as acquire more knowledge about clinical social work management expertise.

The short term goals that will see me through my career path

To achieve my long-term goals, I should segment my entire career path into sections. First of all I must finish my undergraduate program within the stipulated four year period. Current I am in my third year and I am employed at the US department veteran affairs. I am planning to enroll for leadership programs that will enable me acquire leadership skills and knowledge of leading my team towards achieving departmental goals and objectives. If I became a good leader I will be promoted to a higher rank where I will be sponsored to acquire more skills relevant for my career. The salary I am getting my from my job currently helps me pay fees for the programs I want to pursue. Next year, I will enroll for my Masters Degree Program which in one of the reputable institutions in the United States after finishing my undergraduate program. The program will enable me acquire the social work license which will enable me work as an independent social worker if the job at the U.S department fails. The license will arm me with an alternative option if my job is terminated unexpectedly. The financial resources will come from the salaries I am paid by the department as well as the financial support that my parents are committed in towards me. My short-term advances will include saving a lot to finance my career path in the future as well as building a big network to make sure I am always on the right path with the right people who will support me in career development now and in the future.

There are many activities I may need to do so as to succeed in my career path development. One of the major activities that I am required to do is to collect all the relevant educational certificated that are needed in my career growth and development. Since I may not have enough knowledge about what other essential certificates I need to possess that will help me in my career, I will do my research thorough as well as consulting those who have already excelled in this career s well as our own tutors who understand the clinical field. I want to build my career along military nursing field in the department of veteran affairs. I must acquire books and journals that will enable me understand adverse working environment including military clinics and hospitals.

Besides acquiring social work licenses, I need acquire more certificates and licenses such as RN license found in non-compact state, and Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. Military Nurse, (n. d). These additional certifications will help in getting first priority during recruitment as well as a higher pay in case I will be considered in job ranking.

There are many factors that will determine career growth in social work in the U.S department of veteran affairs. They include clinical track which is a clinical foundation that contains progression. The clinical track will be based on leadership skills, discipline, experience acquired and the knowledge base. I will work so hard and study military books and journals widely so as to stay relevant in the field.

The job I currently have, I secured it through vigorous interviews that were conducted in our college where I qualified and the internship job was given to me and other students. At the end of our internship, we will be required and encouraged to approach the Chief Executive Officer of social work department to negotiate employment opportunities. The employment opportunity presented to us will be my leeway for my career success. I have already created a good relationship with the Social Work Chief who is my mentor and I am ready to take the job as a full-time employee.

According to United States Public Law 106-419, all the social workers that were appointed from 1991 to the current date must possess a Masters degree for them to be allowed to obtain a license and become independent practitioners of social work in the United States of America. U.S Department of Veterans affairs, (2017). I will take an action of taking my educated to masters and PHD levels for me to grow very fast in the social work career part. Another step that I will take to grow in my career path include joining VA social workers’ association which is a professional association for social workers which is responsible for encouraging social work service development for benefit of veterans. I will also join the Association of Social Work board that regulates social work.

Next year (2018) I will terminate my undergraduate program where I will work for one year then in 2019, I will enroll for my masters program. The program will take me 3-4 years to finish and then start looking for means and ways of obtaining social work license as required by law. By 2023, I will be in possession of the license where now I will seek for promotions as I work as an independent social work professional and that is when I will apply for my PHD degree that will take me about 3-4 years to finish. My educational career path will end in 2027.



















References

U.S Department of Veterans affairs, (2017). VHA Social Work: VA Traineeships. Vermont Avenue, Washington DC. Retrieved from; https://www.socialwork.va.gov/education.asp

Military Nurse, (n. d). Certifications of Military Nurses. Nurse.org. Ave NE, Bellevue. Retrieved from; https://nurse.org/resources/military-army-nurse/

BTL Technologies Inc, (2017). Job Details: Licensed clinical Social Worker – (BTL0901.17). Monister. Retrieved from; https://btltech.mua.hrdepartment.com/hr/ats/Posting/view/609/0

In deed, (2017). Licensed Clinical Social Workers. Retrieved from; https://www.indeed.com/q-Licensed-Clinical-Social-Worker-Department-of-Veterans-Affairs-Clinic-jobs.html

U.S Department of Veterans affairs, (2017). Social Worker. White City, OR, U.S. Retrieved from; https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/social-worker-at-u.s.-department-of-veterans-affairs-481868277