USC CIR – Washington DC

Washington, D.C., trip offers insider’s view of policymaking

by Claudia Bustamante

For USC School of Social Work students interested in working one-on-one with veterans and military families, a trip to the nation’s capital provided a meaningful lesson in understanding how policies are made and their influence on everything from the accessibility of timely mental health services to the successful reintegration of soldiers to society.

For 19 MSW@USC (online) students, a summer immersion trip to Washington, D.C. offered the opportunity to meet each other in person and a chance to appreciate the concept of government policy—a system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action and funding priorities—that could help them as […]

Student Storms the Hill to End Veteran Suicides

In March, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) held their annual lobbying effort in Washington, D.C. “Storm the Hill” gathered 32 veterans from across the nation to meet with 150 members of Congress and their legislative directors to discuss the pressing issue of veteran suicide. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that approximately 22 veterans die by suicide per day, i.e., nearly one per hour, 8,000 a year and 100,000 since Sept. 11, 2001. The lobbying effort produced Senate Bill 2182 “Suicide Prevention for America’s Veterans Act,” sponsored by Sen. John Walsh (D-Mont.), the first Iraq war combat […]

Washington, D.C., trip offers insider’s view of policymaking

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Student Storms the Hill to End Veteran Suicides

News