Personal Narrative: My Internship With Military Veterans

When I finally had the opportunity to work and assist military veterans, I never expected that I was going to work directly with clients who were diagnosed with a substance and mental health disorder. For my first internship in Graduate School, I interned on Skid Row at the Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA). This internship was very challenging and demanding for me, because I had no idea what to expect. I interned in a Harm Reduction program that assisted homeless veterans with transitioning from temporary housing to permanent housing. In my second week at my internship, I was introduced to Seeking Safety by my field instructor, because many of the veterans where diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and had a history of abusing illegal substances. At my internship, the clients were not mandated to attend any therapy groups that were offered to them, but those who …show more content…
Engaging in combat, and experiencing life and death situations on a daily basis can get overwhelming and devastating for anyone who has deployed to a combat environment. Most veterans who engaged or experienced combat, may have a hard time seeking emotional and psychological help, because they may ridiculed for it. Gibbs et al. (2011) stated that many veterans view mental health problems as being weak in the military, because seeking help or admitting weakness is highly looked down upon by leadership, and some may fear discrimination. As a result, many combat veterans turn to substance abuse as a form of coping. Approximately 18.5% of service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Approximately 50% of returning service members who need treatment for mental health conditions seek it (SAMSHA,