The USC School of Social Work and Three Wire Systems’ VetAdvisor, which provides proactive preventative care to veterans, today announced a partnership to recruit and hire military social work graduates for VetAdvisor coaching services.

“I am thrilled to work with Three Wire on an initiative that acknowledges the challenges of reintegration and provides solutions for service members and their families to make successful transitions,” said Anthony Hassan, director of the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families (CIR) at the USC School of Social Work. “Our respective missions to address the shortage of behavioral healthcare providers qualified to treat veterans and offer them the services they need to be well-adjusted, housed and employed members of society are aligned, which is a great start in helping soldiers return to the lives they left behind.”

The USC School of Social Work was the first civilian program at a research university to offer a formalized military social work option focused on preparing students who are uniquely qualified to work with veterans. Coursework emphasizes understanding military culture and the common mental health issues associated with deployment, such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression, which can lead to substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse and suicide.

The VetAdvisor program offers a collaborative approach, pairing veterans with a personal coach or peer support specialist to manage the behavioral health, wellness, financial and employment issues related to reintegration. Veterans choose how they want to work with their coach—whether face to face, through email, social media or by phone—to develop a personal plan of action with the ultimate goal of empowerment to help them lead a complete life.

“Working with USC and hiring their graduates is a true value-added differentiator for VetAdvisor,” said Jennifer Roseman-Farabaugh, Three Wire’s vice president. “Our coaching platform supports veterans throughout their journey, and this partnership only enhances the veteran-centric services we can offer.”

The first class of interns will join VetAdvisor this fall, performing research and providing direct services to veterans and their families facing the challenges of reintegration to civilian life. Students will have the opportunity to turn their internship experience into a career at VetAdvisor, which will provide an employment pipeline for alumni of this prestigious program.

Additionally, as part of its affiliation with USC, all non-veteran VetAdvisor coaches will be asked to complete CIR’s comprehensive, evidence-based continuing education curriculum designed to train behavioral healthcare professionals for working with service members and their families, leading to a workforce fully certified in veteran social work issues.