Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence
Social Worker Support for Veterans and Families
Living with MS can be very challenging. It requires accepting those things you can't change and adjusting to the 'new normal' for you and your loved ones. This shift in perspective helps you focus on the present instead of the past. Social workers are trained to help you understand and accept the challenges of living with MS and assist you in finding ways to live your best life.
Social workers may work closely with you and your care partner. A social worker can work with your MS team, VA partner organizations, and MS organizations to give you resources.
If you don't know who your VA social worker is, ask your primary care or MS provider to connect you with your social worker. Social workers "Break Barriers" throughout the VA by helping Veterans and their care partners succeed in many different roles. Below are some of the key roles of the MS social worker.
Roles of the MS Social Worker
As a Case Manager on the MS Team:
- Learn what you and your family need by doing a complete assessment and creating a plan just for you.
- Work with other professionals in Mental Health, Primary Care, and other areas to make sure you get all the resources, support, and services you need.
As an Advocate on the MS Team:
- Speak up and defend what is best for the Veteran.
- Support what the Veteran wants in their care.
- Help the Veteran navigate the VA health care system and private services.
As a Counselor on the MS Team:
- Provide supportive counseling to help the Veteran and Veteran's family members cope with how MS affects them, changes in their roles and identity, and disease progression.
- Provide therapy in the form of crisis or long-term help to assist Veterans and family members with mental health issues and getting used to life with MS.
- Teach coping strategies for managing emotions: sadness, anger, worry, and fear.
As a Facilitator on the MS Team:
- Look for chances to bring Veterans together for peer support: MS support groups, phone support groups, and caregiver support groups.
- Build relationships with community organizations that support Veterans with MS.
- Find what care partners need and connect them to the right VA and community resources.
As an Educator on the MS Team:
- Tell Veterans and family members about benefits, compensation programs, resources, support programs, and systems available for Veterans with MS and their care partners. Also share this information with team members.
- Teach Veterans, families, and team members about how illness affects people and how disease progresses.
- Teach about planning for care using legal papers and advance care planning.
As a Negotiator on the MS Team:
- Help solve disagreements between the Veteran and care partner, and give supportive counseling when needed.
- Help solve systemic issues that affect the Veteran's care.
For more information on VA social workers, click here. For assistance in getting the social work care you need, visit: VA Health Care System Social Work Leaders - VHA Social Work.
Authors: Jan Spencer, MSW, LCSW, Alicia Sloan, MPH, MSW, LICSW, and Bethany Ferguson, MSW, LCSW-C
