ABSTRACT
The future of the Navy social work program is tied to its history as a largely volunteer, civilian-run program using relatively few uniformed social workers. The program, with its roots in a variety of informal programs and volunteer organizations, formally developed much later than programs in the other Services. The American Red Cross and other largely volunteer organizations provided a limited number of professionally trained social workers to medical treatment facilities as late as the early 1980s. This reliance on nongovernment support systems enabled the Navy to delay, for years, formalizing a social service delivery system.
