VA Social Work

The mission of VA Social Work is to assist Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors in resolving Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) that impact health and well-being. Social work is woven into the fabric of VA health care, providing clinical interventions and services across the VA continuum of care.

Social workers are available to assist you in a variety of settings to include the primary care clinic, in homeless programs, during hospitalization, at Emergency Department visits, in mental health and rehabilitation units, and upon enrollment in specialty medical programs.

History of VA Social Work

38 U.S.C § 7301 Public Law 271 in 1926 recognized social work as an integral part of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), ensuring professional services to support the mental health and well-being of Veterans. Recognized as essential in the delivery of comprehensive care under the statutory framework governing VHA. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is the largest employer of master’s level social workers in the United States. Social workers have been employed in the VA since 1926. Veterans Bureau General Order 351 dated June 16, 1926, established the VA Social Work Service in VA Central Office outlining its organization and functions. Ms. Francis Foster, a neuro-psychiatric social worker from Cincinnati, was hired to begin setting up the National Social Work program and to assist in the transition of social work staff from the Red Cross to VA. The first-year staffing consisted of fourteen social workers who were placed in psychiatric hospitals and twenty-two placed in regional offices throughout the country. From this modest beginning, social work has evolved into a health care profession embedded in all patient care areas across the VHA, helping Veterans, service members, their families, caregivers, and survivors to achieve their highest level of personal wellness.