SW 664: Topics in contemporary social welfare:
U.S. service members, veterans and military families
Spring 2020
Instructor: Tova Walsh
This course will introduce students to military life and culture, stressors and sources of support for service members, veterans, and their families. We will focus in particular on the impacts of recent wars in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) on individuals and families. Topics will include deployment-related separation, combat related stress, trauma, loss, and transitioning from service. We will examine the range of policies and programs to promote the health and wellbeing of service members, veterans, and their families. This class is recommended for those who hope to work with service members, veterans and military families (Did you know that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is the largest employer of Master’s level social workers in the United States?) and those who hope to work with children and adults in a variety of contexts (Did you know that veterans comprise over 7% of the population in Wisconsin, and military service members, veterans, and their families live in every county in the state? Working in schools, healthcare, social service agencies, and more, you are sure to encounter military-connected individuals and families; this class will help to prepare you).