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Michael Kilmer, School of Social Work alum and Coast Guard vet, is modernizing the way social services are provided to military veterans.
Caring for the millions of U.S. veterans who suffer from injury, illness and trauma is not simply about having enough resources and staff. At the Veterans Health Administration, a new generation of leaders is reforming case management and applying prevention science to improve outcomes for veterans and their families. Michael Kilmer, MSW ’04, is at the forefront of this transformation. As the chief advisor on care management and social work services at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Kilmer oversees 11,000 social workers and six innovative programs that take integrated, patient-focused care to a new level. Key elements include team-based transition management for returning veterans, support and training for family caregivers, designated patient advocates, and domestic violence screening, prevention, and intervention. In recognition of his transformative work, Kilmer was the first recipient of the School of Social Work’s Early Career Achievement Award in 2014. A native of Grays Harbor County, Washington, Kilmer enrolled in the UW School of Social Work in 2002 after 15 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. His departure from the military was not voluntary—he was one of 14,000
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2015 ANNUAL REPORT
