Perceptions of a Military Social Work Specialization Certificate Program: Implications for Future Programs

ABSTRACT

Military social work certificates, courses, and specializations have emerged to address the need for competent and culturally aware practitioners to serve military and veteran clients. This study evaluates one of these certificate programs surveying 27 previous graduate students and 11 field supervisors affiliated with this program. The majority of the participants endorsed this certificate as a viable means to prepare for practice with these clients. Findings highlight the importance of participants understanding military culture and common psychiatric conditions. Results point to the benefits of future programs teaching this material using real-life case scenarios and addressing veteran benefits, different periods of service, macro content, and complex ethical challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• Military
• veterans
• certificate
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• cultural competence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.