Bio Psychosocial Spiritual Assessment On A Veteran

This paper is about counselors who choose to work with veterans or those who suffer from PTSD. The topics that will be discussed are the specific job descriptions, the salary one could look to receive, the certification requirements, and the future of this ever growing field.

Ms. Smith is a 30 year old single, Caucasian female referred for a psychosocial assessment by DOC Parole Officer Ward. She reports she was released from prison 2 months ago after a 3 year sentence for attempted escape due to not notifying her probation officer of her address change. Ms. Smith states due to her past substance use history and trauma experience her referral sources ordered counseling to address complex issues related to her emotional and physical well-being.

The veteran reported that the year prior to his referral to VHN he resided in multiple VA run inpatient treatment centers and a homeless shelter in Newark, NJ. The veteran reported that he first resided at the “Dom” (VA), where he was asked to leave after he got “drunk and told the staff off.” He then went to a homeless shelter in Newark NJ that he described as a “shit hole.” He reported having to be out from 6am-4pm and all he did was walk the streets. He was offered drugs and crack again for the first time since 1995. The veteran accepted into 12B (VA inpatient psychiatric) and was referred to SHEILDS from 12B.

I thought a lot about this assignment. It was important, to me, that I gathered information that would be applicable for the clients I will serve as a social worker. Here in Flagstaff Arizona, we are fortunate to live in a community which celebrates cultural diversity. Flagstaff is home to a large Latino, Diné and Hopi population. I wanted to critique a mental health assessment that I felt would be culturally sensitive, appropriate and address the needs of these populations. Having said that, I analyzed this intake form in terms of its usability for a variety of different cultures and populations. I also aimed to assess the intake form in relation to sexual orientation and issues around gender identity. The hope being that

Chris is a 38 year old, heterosexual, masculine, Caucasian male. Chris has just recently returned home from Iraq after serving four tours. He claims to be having trouble adjusting to civilian life and reports his weakness for giving up and choosing to quit while his “brothers” are still overseas. Chris is married with two children and desires to fulfill his roles as being a husband, father, soldier, brother, son, etc. Chris believes that this is his life’s duties and God’s plan for him. Due to feelings of anger, aggression, guilt, shame, loss, anxiousness, hopelessness, and depression, a VA physician advised Chris to utilize the VA Healthcare System in order to seek appropriate treatment.

More than one-third of homeless adults interviewed for the Northwest Arkansas PIT census were veterans of the United States armed forces (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015). The majority of the veterans interviewed were 92.5% male, 79.3% were white, and more than half were over the age of 45 (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015). All of this data combined shows that the majority of the homeless veterans are from the Vietnam era (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015). According to the Northwest Arkansas Homeless Report of all the homeless men that were surveyed about 48.6% were veterans and of all the homeless women surveyed only 18% were veterans (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015).

The mission statement of the VA Social Workers is to eliminate significant barriers to clients in need and offer interventions for veterans and families. It is accomplished by developing and maintaining integrated, in-depth programs in patient care, research, and education (Hoffer, Elizabeth. F., Dekle, Judith. Ward., & Sheets, Carol., 2014). Its proposed 11 percent to 20 percent of Iraq, Afghanistan veterans as well as 30 percent of Vietnam vets encounter (PTSD) posttraumatic stress disorder traumatic incidents like combat can lead to PTSD, military sexual trauma of military service member, and veterans may possibly deal with depression, anxiety in addition to other mental health concerns. Vets distress from these mental health and cognitive

Imagine as an immigrant one enters into a new life unfamiliar to the culture and the expectations of a new society. Faced with so many challenges and uncertainties, how does one fit into a new environment or align oneself with existing resources for a successful cultural transition? Veterans transitioning into civilian life may experience similar challenges and may require a multidisciplinary approach consisting of improved communication, understanding and the perception of the underlying issues which contribute to the challenges veterans face with assimilating to the civilian life. Although, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most talked about issue with returning veterans, there are many more issues that ensue. For example,

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

This theory is appropriate because upon resolution of the identified problem, a specific population’s overall health will be improved which aligns with the goal of the model. Another reason the concept is suitable is all five assumptions of the model are highlighted when the model is applied to the identified problem in practice. An interdisciplinary approach will have to be utilized when assisting the non-service connected veterans suffering from mental health illness in obtaining services in the community. Next all 17 principles of population-based practice will be considered during the process. Fourthly, an assessment will be completed of the identified problem resulting in policy development and a pledge of resolution. Finally, the action

Homeless veterans population has been a problem over the decades but over the passed few years the population of homeless veterans has increased. This is a concerning problem that needs to be attended to and human services is one of the ways to seek help. Many veterans that are homeless is due to mental illnesses such post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), substance abuse (alcoholism and addiction), and depression. Veterans that are homeless usually have one or more issue that they are facing that is causing them to be homeless. Some veterans can be facing psychiatric, physical, and medical disorders at the same time, which is very common today (Goldstein, Luther, Haas, Appelt, & Gordon, 2010, p.312). Veterans that were deployed and fought

All elements in this domain scored a five. The VHA focuses on diversity and disparities among Veterans. The comprehensive electronic health record captures demographic information, such as race, ethnicity, language on the initial visit to the facility. This information can then be viewed in the first pane of the patient chart. Although English is the primary language, an interpreter can be made available if necessary. Those patients who are hearing impaired are provided with an interpreter fluent in sign language. Multiple programs are available to Veterans who are underserved. A series of questions are reviewed with the patient annually, with the goal of identifying the Veteran’s needs. These questions focus on routine health care, as well

All the women that are identified will have a pre-assessment test by some designated physicians. The aim is to note their psychological status and identify any psychiatric disorder. After this, the participants will be grouped into two; the intervention group and the control group. Those that are under the intervention group will be provided assess to DV resources, including psychologists, social workers, crisis hotlines, sexual assault crisis centers, counseling services, and women’s shelters, as well as physician visits. While the other group will not be given the privileges that the intervention group has. Both groups will be monitored for a period of 12months and will be re-evaluated by the physicians. The physicians will evaluate their psychological status and the trend in any pre-identified psychiatric disorder of both groups. Information will be gathered on any developed or resolved posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic disease, depression, improved quality of life and mental

A service member’s emotional and psychological issues are not like malfunctions of a piece of equipment and must not be treated as a troubleshooting problem in a technical manual. And yet this seems to be the only way the military, as a whole, knows how to address the issue of a service members mental health. It requires a holistic approach that is not currently embraced by the military. Historically, the military has been ill-equipped to handle the shifting nature of the psychological issues created by introducing a service member to the battlefield.

A Spiritual Condition Evaluation paper will be required of you. (Note: Write about yourself. However, If you would rather not write about yourself, you may select a living famous person to evaluate with the instructor’s prior approval. Remember in the final analysis, whether writing about yourself or someone else, only God knows a person’s heart completely so try to be both humble and gentle). This document will run from 900–1,500 words. You will use the course’s