National Social Work Month Social services and social work have been important cornerstones of veterans health care since the American Civil War. During the Civil War, there was no American Red Cross in existence, so organizations such as the U.S. Sanitary Commission, U.S. Christian Commission, and various state and local groups raised money and supplied volunteers for vital services, supplies, and moral support to benefit military medical staff and veterans alike. Various types of social work were practiced every day at the National Homes, although no formal “social work” program existed and no professional social workers were employed there. The work included providing educational, recreational, occupational, and religious activities for veterans, as well as helping them to work out relationships with one another, their families, National Home management, and the local community. A paradigm shift occurred during and after World War I. In 1919 the Red Cross was asked to organize social services for treating mental diseases like those in civilian hospitals. On June 16, 1926, Veterans Bureau Administrator, Frank T. Hines, authorized the establishment of a Social Work department and the hiring of professional social workers as employees began. On September 1, 1926, the Veterans Bureau took over social work in its neuropsychiatric hospitals and 2-3 general hospitals with the goal of doing so at all of its hospitals by July 1, 1927. After VA established its Department of Medicine and Surgery in 1946, which implemented robust medical research and medical school affiliation programs, the number of social workers mushroomed: The VA social service staff has increased from 550 in July 1946 to 1,026 in June 1947. By the 1950s, social workers were essential members of the professional medical team and were key contributors to many medical research projects. VA and its ancestors significantly expanded the role of medical social work in the U.S. and influenced the raising of standards for psychiatric social work. Today, VA is one of the largest employers of social work graduates in the world. We salute and thank our social workers.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:09:38 +0000
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