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56 | COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX 

PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVING THE 
REINTEGRATION PROCESS OF AMERICAN 
SOLDIERS

EDWARD CHAN

Studies have consistently found high prevalence rates of veterans 
who experience difficulties reintegrating into civilian life, 
ranging between 50-61%. This paper assesses the current limitations of 
America’s reintegration methods for military veterans. Commonly 
identified issues include difficulty finding employment, challenges 
with readjusting to daily life with family members, and stigma 
associated with seeking mental health services in military culture. 
This paper explores three proposals for how social workers can 
address these limitations in a way that would significantly improve 
veterans’ reintegration processes. The first proposal aims to improve 
employment rates by creating a market economy exclusively for 
retiring service members. The second proposal aims to improve 
service members’ ability to reintegrate with their family members 
by placing a stronger emphasis on this domain in the Transition 
Assistance Program, a mandatory program that all retiring service 
members must undergo before being discharged. The third proposal 
aims to increase veterans’ use of mental health services by promoting 
the use of these services as early on as boot camp. By implementing 
these proposals, the United States could significantly reduce the 
prevalence rate of veterans who have difficulty reintegrating. 

INTRODUCTION
“People are going to find this weird, 

but I miss Iraq every single day.”
-Nicholas Johnson

Nicholas Johnson was a proud former specialist deployed to Iraq from 
2006 until 2007. Today, he suffers from a broken back, “can’t get a good job,” 
and can’t “give [his] kid the life he deserves” (Flournoy, 2014). Scenarios 
like Johnson’s occur far too often. A study conducted by University of 
Southern California found that 61% of veterans have trouble adjusting to 
civilian life (Castro, Kintzle, & Hassan, 2015). Another study conducted 
by the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation found that 50% of 
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans polled had difficulty transitioning back into 
civilian life (Flournoy, 2014). In addition, the United States Department of 
Veteran Affairs (VA) (2016) “estimates that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 
(PTSD) afflicted 31% of Vietnam veterans.” Research is consistent with 
regard to the high prevalence of reintegration issues faced by veterans.



COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX | 57 

EDWARD CHAN

This article will propose ways to improve current strategies social 
workers and the military use to reintegrate service members into civilian 
life. More specifically, empirical research will be used to support proposals 
aimed at reducing both the severity 
and prevalence of issues accompanying 
reintegration. With such staggering 
prevalence rates, it is imperative that 
we address the factors that contribute 
to reintegration issues. Factors that 
contribute to veterans’ reintegration 
are complicated by a variety of issues. 
Upon reintegrating, a service member is 
essentially changing not only his or her 
occupation, but also his or her daily routine, 
purpose in life, responsibilities, and much 
more almost overnight (Wegner, 2011). Social work initiatives combined 
with the military’s involvement can substantially facilitate a smoother 
transition. This article will provide three proposals for social work initiatives 
that aim to improve the reintegration process of American soldiers. 

The reintegration process is complicated by many risk factors, such 
as the maladaptive use of alcohol and drugs (Wegner, 2011). Due to these 
risk factors, veterans are more at risk than the civilian population of severe 
legal and mental health consequences, ranging from incarceration to 
homelessness to suicide (Wegner, 2011). One study found that 96% of 754 
veterans surveyed “expressed interest in services to re-adjust to civilian 
life” (Sayer, Noorbaloochi, Frazier, Carson, Gravely, & Murdoch, 2010, p. 
589). With such a high demand for additional assistance from reintegration 
resources, it is imperative to evaluate the military’s current reintegration 
process and its limitations.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
In order to understand the current limitations of the military 

reintegration processes, it is important to examine their historical 
development. The American military reintegration process has roots 
extending back to the Civil War (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). However, 
mental health has only recently been considered an important part of 
reintegration efforts. In 1918, the Red Cross employed the first psychiatric 
social worker, but it wasn’t until 1942 when the military “allowed service 
members to work as psychiatric social workers” (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 
2013, p.5). This slow historic progress illustrates the delayed infusion 
of mental health services into the military. Cultural stigmas within the 
military that associate seeking mental health services with weakness 
further exacerbate the issue (Sharp et al., 2015). A meta-analysis found 
that a staggering 42.9% of service members surveyed about seeking mental 

“Due to these risk 
factors, veterans are 
more at risk than the 
civilian population 
of severe legal 
and mental health 
consequences, ranging 
from incarceration to 
homelessness to suicide 
(Wegner, 2011).”



58 | COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX 

IMPROVING THE REINTEGRATION PROCESS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS

health assistance did not do so because they “might be seen as weak” 
(Sharp et al., 2015, p.144). While progress in combating this stigma is slow, 
modern advances, such as a push to hire more mental health professionals 
and train them to treat common issues that veterans face (e.g., traumatic 
brain injury and PTSD), have a greater impact on infusing mental health 
care into reintegration services (Munsey, 2007). 

Another significant factor that has historically affected reintegration 
is the relationship between veterans and their family members (Rubin, 
Weiss, & Coll, 2013). The military has come to realize the importance of 
maintaining a healthy family dynamic for service members, as it directly 
affects both soldiers’ mission performance and their reintegration process 
(Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). While it is understood that families play a 
vital role in every service member’s life, 
society has long failed to acknowledge 
the lasting impacts of service on family 
members. Service members’ deaths and 
injuries can have lasting emotional and 
financial consequences for families. Early 
organizations launched initiatives towards 
improving family dynamics. The American 
Red Cross, empowered by social workers, 
strongly pushed for family care services as 
early as 1917. During World War II, there was an expansion of military 
family programs, including the Emergency Maternal Infant Care program, 
due to the large number of young, self-supporting women serving in the 
military. The Air Force Aid Society, a U.S. Air Force operated charity that 
provides services such as loans and base community programs for service 
members and their families, was established in 1942 (Rubin, Weiss, & 
Coll, 2013). Family care has grown to play an important role in military 
reintegration initiatives today (Albano, 1994). Throughout the history of 
the United States military, mental health services and family care services 
have developed into important aspects of the reintegration process for 
service members.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
Social workers who serve veterans have the potential to further 

enhance reintegration methods by improving upon the military’s current 
mental health and family care services. From a clinical perspective, 
social workers have the skill set to administer a wide range of therapeutic 
treatments that combat minor to severe mental health issues. Issues facing 
service members can range from mild depression to severe PTSD (National 
Veterans Foundation, 2016). In addition, social workers are trained to 
assess clients from a multifaceted perspective, thus creating a holistic 

“While it is understood 
that families play a 
vital role in every 
service member’s 
life, society has long 
failed to acknowledge 
the lasting impacts 
of service on family 
members.” 



COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX | 59 

EDWARD CHAN

picture of the micro and macro factors that impact an individual, such as 
family dynamics (micro) or governmental policies (macro). Furthermore, 
social workers are proficient in advocating for the services veterans desire, 
deserve, and require. Social workers in the military should play a critical 
role in improving current reintegration methods as they are trained to 
advocate on behalf of their clients and clinically treat their clients’ internal 
and external stressors.

THE CURRENT AMERICAN REINTEGRATION PROCESS
In order to examine how social workers and the military can have a 

positive influence on the veteran reintegration process, it is necessary to 
examine the military’s current initiatives and their shortcomings. There 
are a number of military-operated transition programs—including the 
Transition Assistance Program (TAP), the Disabled Transition Assistance 
Program (DTAP), Wounded Warriors, 
and the System Care Department—
within the VA (Koeman, 2008). TAP 
and DTAP take a proactive approach by 
providing veterans with “employment 
assistance and training information 
within 180 days of separation from 
the military service” (Rubin, Weiss, 
& Coll, 2013, p. 282). These programs offer benefits such as “access to 
family support services, veteran health care benefits, home loans, home 
care, vocational rehabilitation, and assistance with job searching” (Rubin, 
Weiss, & Coll, 2013, p. 283). These programs are designed to be accessible 
and effective in reintegrating all separating service members. 

The Veterans Opportunity to Work and Hire Heroes Act of 2011 
(VOW Act) mandates that all retiring service members must attend the 
TAP training so that they are aware of these readily available resources 
(Guina, 2012). Furthermore, the Department of Defense created a virtual 
TAP curriculum online so that this compulsory reintegration assistance 
program can be more accessible. TAP’s curriculum consists of a five-day 
workshop, with optional additional days depending on personal interests. 
The first three days are dedicated to “going over personal finances, family 
adjustments, VA benefits, and mentorship.” The following two days are 
dedicated to job preparation services ( Department of Labor, 2002).

In addition to the TAP program, additional factors for successful 
reintegration of military members include the use of obligatory pre and 
post psychological screenings and information sessions (Rubin, Weiss, & 
Coll, 2013). Higher education is also made more accessible by the Post-9/11 
GI Bill, which provides “substantial financial packets for veterans to attend 
college” (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013, p. 289). These resources, coupled with 

“In order to examine how 
social workers and the 
military can have a positive 
influence on the veteran 
reintegration process, it is 
necessary to examine the 
military’s current initiatives 
and their shortcomings.”



60 | COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX 

IMPROVING THE REINTEGRATION PROCESS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS

the mandatory policy safeguards, are some of the major ways in which the 
military currently attempts to successfully reintegrate veterans back into 
civilian life.

LIMITATIONS

While the resources offered by the military help veterans successfully 
adjust to civilian life, there are still many limitations and complications 
that limit the military’s role in reintegration. More specifically, as time 
elapses, the family, service member, and the surrounding environment have 
often drastically changed from the way they functioned prior to military 
service (Marek et al., 2016). Feelings such as resentment, frustration, and 
indifference can decrease a veteran’s desire to effectively reintegrate into 
civilian life (Wegner, 2011). The abundance of resources provided by the 
military are useless if individuals are so overwhelmed that they do not take 
advantage of these opportunities. The military’s ability to successfully 
reintegrate service members is limited and complicated by the individual’s 
willingness to accept help.

Another major limitation concerns employment. There are many 
ways employers can circumvent laws that prohibit discrimination 
against physical and mental disabilities (Flournoy, 2014). While being 
interviewed by the Washington Post, Nicholas Johnson stated, “to fill 
out a [ job] application I have to be upfront and say I have a torn up back” 
(Flournoy, 2014). Despite his transferable leadership skills gained abroad, 
the factories in Topeka continue to deny him the opportunity to work 
(Flournoy, 2014). Discrimination against physical disabilities is just one 
factor that inhibits veterans’ ability to effectively transition back to civilian 
life. Mental disabilities acquired in the course of duty are the invisible 
wounds that society does not see, acknowledge, or adequately account for 
(Flournoy, 2014). According to Johnson, “between the pain injury from his 
back and, the God knows, the torment from PTSD, you don’t necessarily 
look the part, but you still suffer and your life is changed” (Flournoy, 
2014). Johnson’s story is only one of many examples in which, despite the 
numerous employment and reintegration resources available, veterans 
who have put their life on the line for freedom are still denied access to fair 
employment opportunities.

PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THE 
AMERICAN REINTEGRATION PROCESS

Now that some of the most pressing issues with the nation’s current 
reintegration programs have been identified, the following section will 
describe three proposals targeting a more effective reintegration process 
in the following domains: a veteran’s career, family life, and mental health. 
Throughout these proposals, the specific roles social workers would play in 



COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX | 61 

EDWARD CHAN

each scenario will be highlighted. These three domains have been selected 
because they are areas in which current reintegration methods do not 
adequately provide assistance. 

A PROPOSAL FOR A VETERAN 
EXCLUSIVE MARKET ECONOMY 

The first proposal concerns how to improve veterans’ ability to find 
employment after retiring from the military. For many veterans, managing 
physical and mental injuries, experiencing rapid cultural changes, and 
going from an active duty service membership to being unemployed can 
be very difficult (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). The military should create a 
large number of jobs in a variety of fields exclusively for veterans. While the 
VOW Act does allow preferential hiring for veterans in federal positions, 
there are no government initiatives aimed at hiring or reserving positions 
only for veterans (Guina, 2012). In addition, a significant limitation to 
this act’s preferential hiring process concerns the fact that many federal 
positions are already highly sought after by the civilian population. 

In this proposal to create a veteran market economy, social workers 
would serve as advocates and supportive resources for veterans in both 
seeking and maintaining a job. Employment opportunities could range 
from low-skilled jobs to high-skilled jobs, physically demanding to non-
physically demanding, etc. By creating a marketplace hiring only previous 
military personnel, career opportunities would be guaranteed and culture 
shock would be reduced, as all coworkers would also be veterans. Physical 
and mental impairments could be properly addressed by social workers 
providing assistance. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of this proposal 
is that it would require an extreme initial overhaul in military budgeting. 
Furthermore, institutions that would house these jobs would have to be 
developed. However, if the government can spend $718 billion on “defense 
and national securities initiatives” in 2011 alone, the military should at 
least be able to spend an equal amount on ensuring that veterans have 
a sustainable job following their service (Plumer, 2013). In addition 
to fulfilling moral obligations, this new marketplace would eventually 
generate substantial revenue for the American economy as a result of a 
larger number of veterans contributing to the gross domestic product. 
Social workers would play vital roles in this initiative, as advocacy and 
support services are critical components of the plan’s success.



62 | COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX 

IMPROVING THE REINTEGRATION PROCESS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS

A PROPOSAL FOR EMPHASIZING FAMILY
REINTEGRATION IN THE TAP PROGRAM 

The next proposal attempts to facilitate the reintegration of veterans in 
family life. As mentioned earlier, TAP does provide family support services 
(Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). However, word “family” is not mentioned in 
the entire TAP manual’s Table of Contexts (Department of Labor, 2002). 
Reintegrating service members into their families deserves far more 
attention than it currently receives.

TAP’s mandatory training should be redesigned by social workers 
to help veterans develop critical skills that would assist in creating 
healthier relationships with their families. These skills include, but are 
not limited to, techniques aimed at improving coping mechanisms, stress 
management, and other emotional and behavioral based assets. Social 
workers would also play a vital role in personally helping veterans develop 
these skills. In addition, the TAP program should be extended to be longer 
than five days in order to provide veterans with a greater amount of time to 
develop these critical skills. Extending the duration of this program would 
also allow veterans to receive continuous support in family life, as well as 
other domains. Disadvantages of this proposal include veterans possibly 
not wanting to undergo a longer mandatory program, additional costs 
for ongoing treatment, and a huge design overhaul of the TAP initiative. 
Despite these disadvantages, these program adjustments would place a 
more appropriate focus on preparing veterans to reintegrate with their 
loved ones while obtaining ongoing support and working towards self-
improvement.

A PROPOSAL FOR DESTIGMATIZING MENTAL HEALTH 
The last proposal attempts to significantly reduce mental health 

injuries sustained from service, thus improving upon veterans’ overall 
reintegration process. The phrase “mental health,” or any synonym, is also 
not mentioned in the Table of Contents 
section of the TAP Manual (Department 
of Labor, 2002). The TAP Manual 
should be revised by social workers to 
incorporate mental health as an integral 
part of reintegration service. 

In order to reduce mental health 
issues during reintegration, it is necessary 
to change the way the military has long 
stigmatized mental health (Acosta et al., 
2014; Kime, 2015). While the stigmas surrounding mental health issues 
are decreasing, the rates at which barriers are being broken down are far 
too slow (Kime, 2015). Strategies aimed at reducing mental health stigma 

“Strategies aimed at 
reducing mental health 
stigma must begin during 
a service members’ 
earliest phase of training 
(i.e., boot camp), thus 
destigmatizing mental 
health issues from the 
beginning of a service 
member’s career.”



COLUMBIA SOCIAL WORK REVIEW, VOL. IX | 63 

EDWARD CHAN

must begin during a service members’ earliest phase of training (i.e., boot 
camp), thus destigmatizing mental health issues from the beginning of a 
service member’s career. It is hypothesized that an introductory program 
that emphasizes the importance and acceptability of mental health 
support would decrease the development of mental health issues during 
and following active duty services. Challenges facing this proposal include 
the deeply rooted negative associations mental health has in the military 
and securing additional funding for these programs (Sharp et al., 2015). 
Nevertheless, no price exceeds the importance of maximizing service 
members’ mental health during and following their service.

CONCLUSION
Proposals for addressing the needs of veterans have been articulated 

and examined for strengths and weaknesses, and the roles of social 
workers in these proposals have been thoroughly discussed. Based on this 
assessment and supporting literature, the advantages of these proposals 
appear to outweigh the disadvantages. These proposals possess the potential 
to have a significant impact on service members’ reintegration processes.

Today, Nicholas Johnson continues to work at an unfulfilling job, suffer 
from severe PTSD, and experience difficulties within his family dynamic 
(Flournoy, 2014). He and many other veterans like him deserve far better 
than the existing reintegration resources. The proposals discussed in this 
article would begin to address the current service limitations that affect 
veterans who struggle with reintegration. Through a market economy that 
exclusively hires veterans, veterans would be able to more seamlessly find 
suitable employment following discharge. Through a redesign of the TAP 
program, veterans will be better prepared to reacclimate to civilian life, 
particularly healthy family functioning. Through efforts to destigmatize 
mental health within the military community, service members and 
veterans would experience increased quality of life. In conclusion, these 
proposals have the potential to improve veterans’ quality of life by creating 
appropriate employment options, improving care for veterans and their 
families, and beginning to create a military culture that values mental 
health as much as physical health.

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EDWARD CHAN earned a B.S. in Applied Psychology with a minor 
in Chinese from New York University in 2016. While completing his 
undergraduate degree, he worked for the Mayor’s Office to Combat 
Domestic Violence, The Door, Child Mind Institute, Upward Bound, and 
Rikers Island Single Stop. Edward’s previous work experience led him to 
pursue a Masters of Science in Social Work from the Columbia University 
School of Social Work. While completing his degree, Edward has gained 
experience interning at Gouverneur Hospital and New York State 
Psychiatric Institute. His insatiable passion for helping people has allowed 
him the opportunity to serve a diverse population ranging from children 
with anxiety disorders to incarcerated persons. 


