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Veterans with PTSD- Problems Accessing Healthcare and Social Support and Social Work Advocacy Roles

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The document is an academic paper titled "Veterans with PTSD- Problems Accessing Healthcare and Social Support and Social Work Advocacy Roles". It focuses on the specific population of U.S. military veterans experiencing PTSD and analyzes the barriers they face in accessing healthcare and social support, proposing social work advocacy strategies to address these challenges. Description The paper examines the growing problem of healthcare and social support access for veterans, particularly those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and places the issue within the context of social work practice and ethics. Core Problem and Context: Population: U.S. veterans, a population consistently declining, now making up 6% of the U.S. adult population (18 million living veterans). Barriers: Veterans with PTSD face complex mental health challenges and problems accessing support due to difficulties navigating the VA healthcare system, inadequate mental health support, lack of access to VA facilities (especially in rural areas), and lack of knowledge of benefits. These challenges make them susceptible to being taken advantage of Stigma/Stereotypes: The challenges are sustained by stereotypes, where veterans may change their health consumption behaviors due to presumed stigma, such as concerns for appearing weak. This problem is linked historically to ageism. Social Work Advocacy Roles: Case Advocacy Example: Providing direct education and support to a veteran struggling to navigate the VA system and seeking the indulgence of family support to prevent the problem from worsening. Cause Advocacy Example: Advocating for the VA system to be made more user-friendly through phone apps, features, and the decentralization and distribution of VA services closer to the people. Existing Advocacy: Currently, counseling (mental health advocacy), resource referral advocacy, and case management advocacy are taking place. Cause advocacy includes mobilizing change of state policy or law around social justice, such as preventing unjust sentencing for veterans with mental health crises. Organizational Example and Ethics: Organization: The American Legion is cited as an entity engaged in advocacy. Advocacy Tenets: The organization successfully addresses the four tenets of the Advocacy Practice and Policy Model: Human needs and rights/Political access: Sustaining a program dedicated to handling VA claims. Economic and supportive environment: Mobilizing resources through fundraising and concerted efforts. Future Advocacy: The author advocates for further decentralization of VA facilities and continued improvement of digital support systems (e.g., mobile apps) to improve accessibility and navigability.

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Uploaded on
November 13, 2025
Number of pages
7
Written in
2025/2026
Type
Essay
Professor(s)
Unknown
Grade
A+

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1




Veterans with PTSD- Problems Accessing Healthcare and Social Support and Social Work
Advocacy Roles




By (Student Name)
Institutional Affiliation (School)
Course Title (Class)
Instructor (Tutor)
Date

, 2


Veterans with PTSD- Problems Accessing Healthcare and Social Support and Social Work
Advocacy Roles


a. Choose a population and a specific barrier(s) that social workers address that you
have learned more about this semester (for example, but not limited to: Veterans
experiencing PTSD, individuals with addiction, children and family who live in poverty, the
aging population having accessible support and healthcare, etc.)

The population that I have learned about, explored, and would like to address in my
social work experience is the veteran population experiencing PTSD. The barriers I seek to
address in this paper include challenges accessing healthcare and social support of diverse types.


Problem and context
The veteran population in the USA constitutes persons who served in the military, navy
or air force and was discharged through retirement, health issues, or other circumstances other
than dishonorable. Research, census and statistical analyses have demonstrated a consistent
decline in this population, especially in the recent decades (since 2000). Data by Schaeffer
(2023) denotes that veterans today makes 6% of the US adult population, which translates to 18
million living veterans. This is a significant decline from the 2010 data, which estimated the
veteran population at 21.8 million (United States Census Bureau, 2011).
Nonetheless, this population continues to toil in a constellation of diverse challenges,
particularly complex mental health challenges and problems accessing support. These challenges
are sustained by range of factors, which include difficulties navigating the VA healthcare,
inadequate mental health support, lack of access to VA facilities (especially for those in rural
areas), and lack of knowledge of benefits offered by system. In their vulnerable states, veterans
with PTSD endure personal safety/security and susceptibility to be taken advantage of (Mission
Roll Call, 2023).
The above problem traces its history to long-term history, which may not be accurately
accounted for. The term ‘ageism’, however, traces back to the early 1950s, precisely 1953, first
coined by Tuckman and Lorge, who observed that people were stuck in a culture that anchored
prominence on youthfulness and speed. They observed that at old age, people degenerate and
become increasingly inactive role in playing social roles, including self-care. Robert Butler
reintroduced the term ‘ageism’ in 1969, refereeing it to a form of bigotry constantly overlooked.
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