The certificate is aimed at nurses and therapists, but open to anyone. Credit: Yuting Yang | Lantern Reporter
This summer, the College of Social Work is set to launch an online program that aims to prepare therapists, nurses, social workers and others to serve veterans as they return to civilian life.
The course will focus on subjects such as re-integration into civilian life, resources available to veterans and developing relationships with friends and family, according to the College of Social Work’s website. The program costs $1,500.
“The way that the program is structured will benefit anybody who is working with veterans in any field,” Friedman said.
Colin Winter, a fourth-year in social work and a student veteran himself, was consulted on the program while the College of Social Work was developing it. He said he thinks the program will be effective.
“What we see is that a lot of veterans seek services outside the system,” he said. “We want to give those practitioners, counselors and providers the means to search for resources within their community to provide to veterans.”
Slated to run from May 8 to July 28, the program includes seven consecutive modules, to be taught by instructors from various fields and professional backgrounds.
“Our vice provost, Michael Carrell, will be teaching our first module, which is about military culture and branches of the military,” said Sara Friedman, director of continuing education with the College of Social Work.
The program will invite physicians and veterans now employed as social workers to engage with students for better understanding of the mental and physical struggles that veterans face, Friedman said.
“We have veterans that are teaching a lot of our modules of the certificate program, so they have the first-hand experience of what veterans are dealing with,” she said. “So I think that gives a lot of credibility and real strength to be able to speak about veteran issues.”
