Every day throughout the VA network more than 900 Recreation Therapists and Creative Arts Therapists work with Veterans to build confidence and self-esteem. By focusing on their strengths and developing new skills, Veterans are able to diminish the focus on their disability and even overcome issues inhibiting rehabilitation. And that is just the beginning.
Recreation and the creative arts offer a holistic approach to medical and mental health. The knowledge and abilities developed through therapy in the disciplines of art, dance, drama and music provide Veterans with a unique set of tools. These tools help Veterans enhance and maintain physical and cognitive abilities; engage in social communications and skill development; improve their emotional well-being; develop creative self-expression; and promote a personalized sense of accomplishment. Recreational and creative arts therapies also help reduce the need for medication and shorten hospital stays.
With that knowledge, VA strives to meet the needs of our nation’s Veterans by actively pursuing new partnerships and focusing on the impact art has on healing. VA has developed new programs like Community Integration Through Creativity, held a national Arts in Healing Symposium and planned a National Veterans Creative Art Festival. Every day, we work to foster health and wellness in Veterans—and we won’t stop until the work’s done.
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What a great initiative! We need more of these for our Veterans. I truly hope that this will have the impact the program was designed for, although it’s obvious that is not a one-fits-all solution, as Louis mentioned in a previous comment!
At our VA you are only eligible only if you are inpatient, no out patients need apply. Will outpatient funding be available?
The recreation therapists and creative arts therapist develop programs offered for Veterans at their VA facility and each facility will be different. Majority of times these programs are free. The therapist also utilizes community programs to include colleges to offer events or clinics for the Veterans at times at a discounted rate. Check with your State Veterans Affairs Office for college courses.
I live in a very rural community far distant from a VA facility or major city, will the VA pay for me to take art classes under this program at a local college even though I’ve previously used my GI Bill to receive a Bachelor’s degree?