Resiliency, vicarious trauma, self-care and reflection have become standard rhetoric for me both as a student and future Social Work Professional and yet remain incredibly important. As Social Workers, we are instilled with a commitment to social justice, cultural competency and a biopsychosocial worldview, enabling us with the capacity to be empathetic listeners and advocates for change. On days like today, however, the observation of Veteran’s Day, it is difficult not to think about the ultimate price that service men and women have paid throughout history. It is even more personal due to the fact that my brother is currently serving in the military as well. Coupled with the controversy surrounding Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospitals and questionable support systems put in place for our military, it is stressful both as a practitioner and a family member; I want the best care possible for my brother and his fellow service men and women.
For our family, during the 4+ years my brother has been enlisted, we are thankful that we have yet to have experienced what a deployment feels like. However, for the 1.9 million family members of the 1.4 million active service men and women, various questions come to mind, regardless of their deployment status. What will they be doing? Where will they go? Will they be nice and respectful of innocent civilians? Will we ever hear from them? What happens when they finally come home? Will they ever come home?
When thinking about how many individuals and families have been impacted by conflict and war in recent years and in an effort to educate myself and reflect upon my role as a social worker and a sister, I came upon an article which proposes an alternative, strengths-based model for military family counseling. After describing a variety of genograms that helping-professionals can use in their practice, the authors state that “helpful and successful treatment ultimately translates into better equipped soldiers to defend our nation and increased adaptability for veterans and families to transition into the civilian world” (The Military Genogram: A Solution-Focused Approach for Resiliency Building in Service Members and Their Families).
On this day of remembrance, reflection and thanks, I hope that we as proponents of trauma-informed-care practice advocate on behalf of service men, women and their families. For me, not only will I try to be a resource and support for our veterans and current service men, women and their families, but a proponent of peace and conflict resolution as well.
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