This study is primarily a descriptive account of the development and the work of the Social Service Division in its background setting of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. It covers the historical development of the various Canadian departments of government concerned with the ex-serviceman's welfare from the beginning of World War I in 1914 to the present time. Information was drawn from annual reports and publications, mimeographed material of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, including statistical reports of the British Columbia Division, supplemented by interviews with staff members of the British Columbia District Office. The veterans' department was born of a military program and of the resulting physical need of wounded discharged soldiers for medical treatment. From this beginning developed the recognition of the value of a rehabilitation program for those physically handicapped because of war service. This need for rehabilitation was extended gradually until it covered all veterans of World War II and preceding wars. The coverage has moved steadily from the medical to the total welfare needs of the veteran. The Department has emerged as one of Canada's largest welfare agencies, veterans being segregated from their fellow civilians by legislation granting special benefits because of special risks. The role of the profession of social work in this setting has been exploratory. In the early 1920's, the social worker is described as being a nurse with special training; the profession of social work was not recognized. Today, only social workers trained in an accredited School of Social Work are accepted as employees of the Division. As far as direct case work is concerned, the Division operates largely as a referring agency although direct service is given in some instances. The Division is now experimenting with an in-service training program in social work concepts for Veterans' Welfare Officers and other Departmental personnel. This would make the social worker available to these persons on a consultative basis. In the present setting, the professional social worker has to prove the value of her work by performance. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Essentially, the subject of this thesis is the problem of multiple hospital admissions, and the possible psychosocial etiology of these admissions. Chronic readmissions to hospital are of concern to social workers, to hospital personnel, and to the wider community, in view of the numerous and varied concommitant problems which may involve not only the patient, but any number of other persons or projects in the community. A survey of the several hundred referrals made to the Medical Social Service Department at Shaughnessy Hospital, Vancouver, during the fiscal year studied (1952-53) points up the fact that more than half of this referral group constitutes patient readmissions, and that at least one-quarter of the readmitted group might be considered as having a chronic readmission pattern. The manner in which this present study is approached is through detailed examination of data on district office files and medical social service case records, relative to a group of fifty-one veteran patients with a chronic readmission pattern, referred to the Medical Social Service Department at Shaughnessy, for varied medical-social problems. Findings of this study indicate that psychosocial factors, at least among the group selected, weigh heavily in a pattern of chronic hospital readmissions. Judging from the retarded referrals, there does not seem to be a sufficient awareness, on the part of a number of hospital personnel, that the admission pattern of many veterans contains a substantial psychosocial element, and/or if such is realized, that medical social services might be beneficial in rehabilitating the patients concerned. The onus for remedying this situation lies not only with the staff of the Medical Social Service Department at Shaughnessy, but with administration, with the medical staff, and with all DVA personnel interested in helping the veteran to function adequately outside the hospital setting. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

The following research study was an ethnographic case study of an intergenerational life review/guided autobiography group consisting of four World War II veterans, five peacekeepers and one member who was a World War II veteran, a Korean veteran and a peacekeeper. The group members ranged in age from 30 to 82. All ten group members participated in a six week life review program (LRP) followed by an individual audio-taped interview. This interview was followed up by a validation interview. The purpose of this research was twofold. There were the research goals coupled with the goals, and intended benefits to, the participants. These goals and benefits often overlapped. The research goal was to answer four questions posed at the beginning of the study. They were: 1) What are the specific competencies, skills and knowledge needed for successful re-entry into civilian life? 2) Can these skills, competencies, and knowledge be successfully passed on in an intergenerational LRP involving both World War II veterans and peacekeepers? 3) Will the intergenerational passing on and receiving of these competencies, skills and knowledge lead to increased feelings of efficacy on the part of both World War II veterans and peacekeepers? 4) What changed for the individual during the course of the program and do they view their lives differently after the guided autobiography/life review experience? The goals, or intended benefits, to the participants were not formulated before the study but instead the method of grounded theory was employed. Grounded theory can be described as "a general methodology for developing theory that is grounded in data, systematically gathered and analyzed" (Strauss & Corbin, 1994, p. 278). Evidence emerged for two of Birren and Deutchman's (1991) seven outcomes. Those two outcomes were: 1) recognition of past adaptive strategies and application to current needs and problems and 2) development of friendships with other group members. Ten new outcomes were also identified. They were: 1) normalization of one's reactions to trauma or to events (e.g. re-entry); 2) the receipt of specific advice, ideas, or assistance; 3) engendering of hope; 4) relief or emotional release in telling one's story; 5) feeling heard/being listened to; 6) relating/commonality with others; 7) new awareness or heightened awareness of one's contributions and/or abilities; 8) new awareness or heightened awareness of others' contributions and/or abilities; 9) positive feelings obtained from others' responses to one's story; and 10) a new appreciation of one's life through comparison with other group members' lives.

The following research study was an ethnographic case study of an intergenerational life review/guided autobiography group consisting of four World War II veterans, five peacekeepers and one member who was a World War II veteran, a Korean veteran and a peacekeeper. The group members ranged in age from 30 to 82. All ten group members participated in a six week life review program (LRP) followed by an individual audio-taped interview. This interview was followed up by a validation interview. The purpose of this research was twofold. There were the research goals coupled with the goals, and intended benefits to, the participants. These goals and benefits often overlapped. The research goal was to answer four questions posed at the beginning of the study. They were: 1) What are the specific competencies, skills and knowledge needed for successful re-entry into civilian life? 2) Can these skills, competencies, and knowledge be successfully passed on in an intergenerational LRP involving both World War II veterans and peacekeepers? 3) Will the intergenerational passing on and receiving of these competencies, skills and knowledge lead to increased feelings of efficacy on the part of both World War II veterans and peacekeepers? 4) What changed for the individual during the course of the program and do they view their lives differently after the guided autobiography/life review experience? The goals, or intended benefits, to the participants were not formulated before the study but instead the method of grounded theory was employed. Grounded theory can be described as "a general methodology for developing theory that is grounded in data, systematically gathered and analyzed" (Strauss & Corbin, 1994, p. 278). Evidence emerged for two of Birren and Deutchman's (1991) seven outcomes. Those two outcomes were: 1) recognition of past adaptive strategies and application to current needs and problems and 2) development of friendships with other group members. Ten new outcomes were also identified. They were: 1) normalization of one's reactions to trauma or to events (e.g. re-entry); 2) the receipt of specific advice, ideas, or assistance; 3) engendering of hope; 4) relief or emotional release in telling one's story; 5) feeling heard/being listened to; 6) relating/commonality with others; 7) new awareness or heightened awareness of one's contributions and/or abilities; 8) new awareness or heightened awareness of others' contributions and/or abilities; 9) positive feelings obtained from others' responses to one's story; and 10) a new appreciation of one's life through comparison with other group members' lives. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate