National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
HAP Partnership Impact
VHA Social Work alleviates risks associated with social determinants of health
In the past two years, accessing fresh, nutritious food in the winter was difficult for many Veterans due to the coronavirus pandemic. These months are especially hard for those trying to pay for electricity to heat their homes and buy more expensive nutrient-dense food.
To alleviate the risk of food insecurity, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Social Work Program reassessed its approach around food and nutrition for Veterans. As a result, the program completed food deliveries across the nation and set up food distribution centers on campus.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions in the environments where Veterans live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. Positive SDOH, such as spaces for physical activity and socialization, employment, and food security, are connected to better health outcomes for Veterans and reduce the risk of death by suicide. The VHA found that Veterans have greater access to positive SDOH by engaging in VHA care with community-based interventions and sponsorships.
“We're all connected as humans, and when we see people struggling or in pain, the natural instinct is to band together and try to resolve something,” said Ms. Jennifer Silva, the national social work program manager for the National Social Work Patient Aligned Care Team Staffing Program at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
For Veterans without a social support network—which is a larger challenge during COVID-19—these food events provide a social aspect in addition to health support.
“We as a society are starting to embrace social care and look at social needs as part of the whole picture,” Ms. Silva said. “That to me is what is going to change the outcomes that we see globally and certainly in the U.S.”
With more than 17,000 Masters prepared social workers across the enterprise, VA is the largest employer of social workers in the nation.
“We want to be proactive about providing care and treatment options before somebody gets in crisis,” Ms. Silva said.
When they work with Veterans, social workers complete an in-depth, comprehensive assessment on their SDOH, social needs, and social risk factors. Then, they create a personalized plan of care to make health and well-being more accessible for Veterans, families, caregivers, and loved ones.
Relationships with family members are important for Veterans. Research shows these interactions are a positive SDOH that can influence people's health and help them feel empowered. For one family, a primary care social worker provided information on a local hospice facility that met their criteria and allowed the Veteran’s family to spend time with him during his last months of life.
The social worker also made referrals for burial in the Arlington National Cemetery, which is the same cemetery the Veteran and his wife visited many times to take in the view and reflect over their lives together and his time in service. He now rests in the same place that mattered to him and his loved ones.
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The VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships enhances Veterans’ access to positive SDOH through partnerships that increase access to food security, social connectedness, and health care. Learn more: https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/partnerships.asp.
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Posted January 31, 2022
