Profile

Carol Levine (M.S.W. '89) returned to school to get her MSW later in life. She already had a career as a school teacher and in local and state politics, including working with County Commissioner Dennis Buchanan, Congressman Les AuCoin, and Auditor Jewel Lansing. It became clear to her that social work was her calling.

Carol now runs a private counseling practice in downtown Portland. As part of her practice, she's provided countless hours of pro-bono counseling for people diagnosed with HIV. Lately, she's been spending more than 20 hours a week volunteering her time as the Board President and founder of Returning Veterans Resource Project Northwest (RVRPNW).

RVRPNW is a purely volunteer, non-profit organization established to provide free counseling and services to veterans and their families returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Levine started the project out of her need to do something about the war. "I could just imagine how difficult it would be to spend a year or more in a combat zone facing life and death situations on a daily basis, and then return home, and be expected to fit right back into the life you had before." Within three days of making calls, 25 therapists signed up to help.

RVRPNW has now served over 30 clients and is working to expand its reach in other parts of the state, where the need for services is so great. The project provides free and confidential counseling and offers resources for other services including acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and yoga.

For Carol, RVRPNW has provided her with the opportunity to blend her experience as a teacher, political activist, and social worker.