Social Work in the Military

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Social workers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

Contents 1 Duties 2 Civilian Counterparts 3 Ethical Dilemmas 4 References

[edit] Duties

• Counsel military personnel and their family members
• Supervise counselors and caseworkers
• Survey military personnel to identify problems and plan solutions
• Plan social action programs to rehabilitate personnel with problems
• Plan and monitor equal opportunity programs
• Conduct research on social problems and programs
• Organize community activities on military bases

[edit] Civilian Counterparts

Civilian social workers work for hospitals, human service agencies, and federal, state, county, and city governments. They perform duties similar to those performed by military social workers. However, civilian social workers usually specialize in a particular field, such as family services, child welfare, or medical services. They may also be called social group workers, medical social workers, psychiatric social workers, and social welfare administrators.

[edit] Ethical Dilemmas

Besides ethical dilemmas that are inherant to all social workers, the policies and practices in the military cause even more issues.

• The dual profession of the military social worker
• The multi-purpose role of the social worker as a human service provider
• Hierarchical structure governed by military law (Uniform Code of Military Justice)
• Dual clients (active-duty and civilians)
• Geographic and professional isolation

[edit] References

• "Social Work in the Military:Ethical Dilemmas and Training Implications" by Steven H. Tallant, Ph.D., ACSW. Associate Professor of the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire