Field Training Opportunities at Aliya Health and VA

Discussion Post: Field Training Opportunities at Aliya Health and VA

Aliya Health Group is a suitable place to fulfill my field experience. We are an inpatient hospital providing treatment to addicts and patients with co-occurring mental disorders. This place appeals to me as it would enable me to work with a large diversity of clients and populations, including veterans. I feel passionate about improving the lives of veterans because they are one of the vulnerable populations in the United States. Aliya Health will provide me with specialized training in the various treatment approaches for substance use disorders among veterans. Moreover, conducting my field experience at Aliya Health Group aligns with my long-term plan of working with veterans, as it will expose me to the issues facing this population. I would be delighted to be part of this community care network serving veterans outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), giving them mental health treatment quickly when the VA does not offer the service or has a long waitlist.

Also, I would like to gain field experience at the VA. Underlying my preference for this site is the fact that VA provides social work professionals with the opportunity to serve veterans with unique needs resulting from their military service, such as physical and mental health challenges, trauma, and readjustment difficulties. This is important to me as mental disorders are a significant issue in the veteran population, with prevalence rates being higher than in the general population (Finnegan & Randles, 2023). Social workers who are passionate about supporting and advocating for veterans may find the VA an ideal setting to gain specialized knowledge and skills in working with this population. The VA would provide me with the unique knowledge and skills to effectively support and serve veterans. Undertaking my field experience at these two facilities would help me meet my stat requirements for field experience, which typically involves completing a specified number of hours in a relevant field or completing an internship program.