Jack Silver was in the Army from 1970-1998. From 1968-1970 he watched the build-up to Vietnam. He was in grad school when he was drafted, but the draft board let him finish his grad work before enlisting. During his time in the Army, Silver worked as a Social Work Officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, offering inpatient psychological services as well as acting as a therapist at their outpatient clinic. He worked with service members and their families, many who had physical as well as psychological issues, due to their military service in Vietnam. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1998 after he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Thanks to his military service and training, today, Jack Silver is a social worker for the Jewish Family and Children’s Service. He currently offers psychotherapy and counseling services to Jewish adults. He works with a variety of people, including veterans that are referred to him through Tricare.
Like many of us, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Silver is currently working out of his home. However, he continues to work with and support his clients via telemedicine techniques.
“The majority of my clients are handling the pandemic situation well, but some who suffer from past trauma, anxiety, and fear have needed additional support. This new chain of events has acted as a trigger raising old feelings,” he said.
Before joining JFCS, Silver served as Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona State Hospital, CEO of Mental Health Services, a comprehensive behavioral health treatment agency in Rhode Island, and other positions in the public and private sectors.
Silver earned graduate degrees in Social Work (Syracuse University), Public Administration (University of Rhode Island), and Psychiatric Rehabilitation (Boston University), and also holds a post-graduate certificate in family treatment (Washington Institute of Psychiatry). He is an ordained Rabbi and is affiliated with the Secular Humanistic movement.
Although Silver knows his clients are generally taking things in stride, as things progress, he wonders how his clients and others will cope. In the meantime, he’s a veteran who continues to serve our community through JFCS. You can learn more about him and JFCS online at https://www.jfcsaz.org/.
