Texas is home to the nation’s largest population of veterans – more than 1.5 million.
These veterans have sacrificed so much to serve their country, but after they hang up their uniforms, they face additional challenges. Veterans are tasked with navigating complex service-related issues and transitioning to an unfamiliar world – often on their own.
Fortunately, social workers are dedicated professionals who guide veterans through post-military life and ensure that every veteran has the resources they need to thrive.
Veterans often face a range of service-related challenges, including mental health conditions or service-connected disabilities, once they exit the military.
Nationwide, about 30% of veterans have at least one mental health diagnosis, while the same percentage have a service-connected disability.
In Texas, however, that number rises to nearly 35%, with some of those disabilities limiting more than 190,000 veterans’ ability to care for themselves or live independently. Veteran suicide is also a serious concern in Texas, with veterans accounting for 14% of the state’s suicides.
Although there are resources designed specifically for veterans, such as the VA health care system and wellness programs, that can help alleviate any mental or physical impairments, accessing them can be difficult and confusing.
Veterans may not be aware of the full extent of their benefits or struggle to navigate complex healthcare systems. Social workers provide a vital bridge by connecting veterans to essential resources and helping them overcome application barriers and bureaucratic hurdles that might otherwise impede their access to care.
Social workers also directly provide counseling, crisis intervention, suicide screenings and substance abuse treatment.
And for Texas’ more than 1,800 homeless veterans and the 230,000-plus veterans who live in homes with one or more major problems with quality, crowding or cost, social workers are critical connectors to housing resources, financial and rent assistance and temporary housing.
Veterans experience a mix of seen and unseen challenges that affect their overall quality of life, but with social workers’ help, they can lessen those burdens and regain stability.
Beyond providing services and connecting veterans to resources, social workers ensure that every veteran’s voice and needs are heard. They’re indispensable advocates pushing for stronger policies, expanded health services and greater resources for those unable to advocate for themselves.
But like veterans, social workers can’t navigate challenges or advocate alone. Texas is facing a severe social work shortage, and in less than five years, the state is expected to have the third-highest shortage of social workers in the nation.
More than 30,000 social workers are needed to meet the growing demand for care, but Texas doesn’t have the resources to fill that gap. And in rural Texas, the strain is far worse. Rural communities have fewer social workers than metropolitan areas, which increases wait times and places disproportionate caseloads on rural providers.
Many social workers turn away from the profession due to the high financial costs of pursuing degrees, the lack of paid internships and low pay.
For instance, Texas social workers make less than the national average, and in a field where they’re already stretched thin, any additional strain will fuel burnout, further worsening the shortage.
Addressing the social worker deficit in rural and urban communities alike requires expanded financial opportunities, including scholarships, paid internships and loan-repayment programs to keep social workers in the field when Texas needs them most.
Veterans have done so much for us. Now it’s our turn to help them. Social workers provide veterans with quality care and ensure that no one is left behind. But to continue doing that, social workers need Texas to provide the tools and funding required to serve those who served us.
Richard L. Jones, PhD, is the President of the Board at Preferra Insurance Company RRG, a behavioral health liability insurance company overseen by social workers.
.png)
