The Mental Health Social Worker

ALEXANDRIA, VA……Thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are now receiving the rehabilitation counseling and mental health services they need thanks to a major new initiative funded by the federal government and launched in October.

The new program matches vets with professional counselors who have expertise in vocational rehabilitation, employment counseling, traumatic brain injury/PTSD, and other services that will help the vets re-integrate into society following severe injury, loss of limbs, or serious brain trauma. The American Counseling Association (ACA), the largest nonprofit association in the world for counseling professionals, is working with Heritage of America, one of seven primary contractors to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, to facilitate the delivery of these services to the returning soldiers.

With 40,000 members who have deep expertise in all aspects of counseling and a well respected code of ethics, ACA was the ideal sub-contractor for this program, according to Pat Chorpenning, President and CEO of Heritage of America (HOA). “The very nature of the counseling process was an excellent match for this VA initiative — whose goal is to help the war wounded integrate back into society, despite their injuries or new physical disabilities,” said Chorpenning, himself a Viet Nam vet who lost a leg in 1969. The VA estimates that more than 70,000 vets are in need of these services following their tours.

Nearly 600 ACA members have already registered with HOA to provide the services needed. They will be helping thousands of war-wounded soldiers develop skills that will make them more employable, find jobs, and learn how to cope with the effects of PTSD and depression.

“We are very pleased that the VA and Heritage of America chose to work with our members,” said Colleen R. Logan, PhD, ACA President. Many ACA members have the exact skills, expertise and experience needed for this important work, she added.

The American Counseling Association (www.counseling.org) is a not-for-profit professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. Founded in 1952, ACA is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings.