Advocacy for Diverse Clientele

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Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations that urged the VA to add counselors to the VA Health Professionals Trainee Program and required a report within 90 days (NBCC, 2016). The VA submitted their report, and stated that 195 counselors and marriage and family therapists were hired 2010 and the VA stated they were adding a pilot program to add counselors to the program (NBCC, 2016).

Now that the VA is hiring counselors and marriage and family therapists to assist in mental health services, a national workgroup was formed in the VA (NBCC, 2016). The workgroup will allow leadership from Mental Health Services and Mental Health Organizations and several licensed professional mental health counselors who have been hired into the VA (NBCC, 2016). The workgroup will help in assisting counselors who are integrating into the VA (NBCC, 2016).

Identify Advocacy Strategies for Diverse Populations

Three strategies that are commonly used are coordination and collaborative approaches, family counseling approaches, and at-risk population approaches (Dickens, Handa, Litz, and Vogt, 2010). The use of the coordination and collaborative approach involves the veteran’s primary doctor who works with the veteran’s counselor or other mental health provider or medical health provider to arrange any needs that the veteran has (Dickens, Handa, Litz, and Vogt, 2010). Family counseling involves the veteran, his spouse or family. Family counseling helps provide the support that’s needed to work through any problems that need to be worked out within the family system (Dickens, Handa, Litz, and Vogt, 2010). The at-risk populations involve those who have just returned from combat. Those individuals who have seen and have been in combat are placed into counseling once they return from overseas (Dickens, Handa, Litz, and Vogt, 2010).

Apply Strategies to Promote Client Understanding and Access to Community Resources

Several resources can be used and are available to veterans depending on their individual need. There are veterans who have mental health issues, but they are also homeless with no place to live. Voa.org is a website for Volunteers of America. They help veterans by providing them with emergency shelter. When the veteran is ready, Volunteers of America provide transitional and permanent housing. Warriorsforfreedom.org is an excellent website that helps veterans with their needs. They work with non-profit organizations to help service members, veterans, and their families by providing a list of resources that would be helpful.

You can also promote resources through the VA, doctors’ offices, and through friends. Having resources that are available and printed out would allow veterans to know what resources are available to them, and what kind of services are available to better assist them.

References

http://www.counseling.org/government-affairs/current-issues/position-papers/2013/03/26/counselors-continue-to-be-all-but-shut-out-of-the-va.-here’s-what-you-can-do-to-help

Blair, E. (2007). Evaluating an issue’s position on the policy agenda: The bellwether methodology. The Evaluation Exchange, 13(1), 29

Dickens, B., Handa, S., Litz, B. and Vogt, S. (2010). Targeting Self-Stigma in Returning Military Personnel and Veterans: A Review of Intervention Strategies. Journal of Military Psychology. 22 (2)

Levin, Y., Greene, T., & Solomon, Z. (2016). PTSD symptoms and marital adjustment among ex-POWs’ wives. Journal Of Family Psychology, 30(1), 72-81. doi:10.1037/fam0000170

http://www.nbcc.org/Advocacy/VeteranAffairs