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By Chris Meek

Last year the Department of Veterans Affairs released a report that found that 32% of veterans work in public service or charitable organizations. This is higher compared to their non-veteran counterparts, of which 22% work in those particular fields. Some may ask what makes veterans more likely to work in these types of organizations, but the fact that they do should come as no real surprise. It makes sense that those who choose to serve their country would find new ways to serve their communities in life after service.

There are a number of reasons why many veterans choose to serve their own communities. Many of those reasons are deeply personal. But I think there are also several positive key elements that draw a great number of veterans to volunteer or work in public service or charity and non-profit organizations. My hope is that in bringing light to some of these positive elements, other veterans, and quite frankly civilians as well, will be inspired to serve in similar outlets.

I have made it a mission of mine to assist veterans in taking their next steps into life after service through SoldierStrong, the nonprofit that I co-founded and currently serve as chairman of. As many veterans have experienced, it can often be difficult to transition from the military into everyday civilian life. However, volunteering, taking leadership roles within the community and serving the public can serve as an essential part of making that transition easier. It can be a good first step forward for many veterans, especially for those who are looking to give their life renewed meaning and purpose.

These types of roles also allow veterans to utilize many of the leadership and management skills that they developed during their time in the military, as well as use them in outlets that are extremely beneficial to their communities. As many know, military capabilities are certainly applicable to other aspects of life and choosing to follow a path that allows you to harness skills learned during your time in the service can make you feel that your work in the civilian world is worthwhile and constructive.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the overwhelmingly positive impacts that this type of work ultimately can have on one’s mental health. Work in the public service and non-profit spectrums can serve as a great launching pad for lessening depression and anxiety, as well as providing a deeper sense of identity.

Even if working directly in these fields is not feasible for you, there are still great ways to give back to your community. Throughout the past few months as our country has waded through unprecedented and stressful times, there has been a greater shift to focus on mental health and to find what it is that makes us all happy as a way to de-stress and gain a better sense of control over our well-being. I encourage everyone to take what it is that they love and turn it into a way to give back to your community. For example, if you love to bike then organize a community bike ride to raise money for a local charity. Or if you like to knit, consider knitting hats for premature babies at your local hospital. There are many unique ways to take what you love and find a way to turn it into something that allows you to show your love for your community and its members.

Though there are a vast number of additional positive aspects of veterans working in public service and non-profit fields that I admittedly did not have enough space to cover above, I encourage those who are interested to continue their own research and hopefully take those initial next steps to serve your communities. I am entirely convinced that the number of veterans working in public service and charity outlets will only continue to rise in the years to come. Thank you to those for your service and your continued service as well.

 

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit committed to using revolutionary medical technology to help military veterans take their next steps forward, and the University of Southern California, were recognized as a top-eight finalist at the annual Igniting Innovation Conference and Awards for their partnership in developing and distributing virtual reality systems to treat military veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress (PTS).

The American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) also presented SoldierStrong and USC with the “Game Changer” award, which recognizes innovations that “provide breakthrough solutions and new ways to navigate longstanding problems. The Igniting Innovation Conference and Awards, presented by the ACT-IAC, shines a light on the country’s top innovators and innovations that advance the lives of Americans and the government entities which serve them.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a finalist at the Igniting Innovation Conference and Awards by industry experts who truly understand and value disruptive technology,” said Chris Meek, co-founder and chairman of SoldierStrong. “We believe it’s a great achievement to be a finalist and receive the “Game Changer” award, especially considering the depth and quality of the other finalists and, in fact, the entire field of nominees.”

The StrongMind program leverages the USC Institute for Creative Technologies’ Virtual Realities system BRAVEMIND to deliver prolonged exposure therapy – the practice of recalling a troubling memory while talking through the nuances of that memory with a licensed therapist. This evidence-based and effective method for treating PTS allows therapists to recreate the scene of the veteran’s troubling memory in a virtual reality headset and thus, places the veteran squarely back within the midst of that memory at a pace they can handle. StrongMind’s technology creates 14 specific “worlds,” or combat scenarios, and allows trained therapists to select a given world based on a veteran’s traumatic experience and customize it based on their unique needs.

“It’s very gratifying to have peers in our discipline and in other scientific fields recognize the significance of this innovative, life-changing technology and the services that the USC-SoldierStrong relationship is providing to our country’s veterans,” said Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo, director of medical virtual reality at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies. “We are humbled by this recognition and thank the ACT-IAC for its efforts to bring attention to this novel approach for treating combat-related PTS. This approach is now being expanded to address the needs of those who have suffered trauma due to sexual assault, first responder occupational hazards, and the stress that is now being experienced by healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. The SoldierStrong partnership has created opportunities that stand to better the lives of all Americans who have suffered from the experience of trauma.”

To date, SoldierStrong has donated 14 virtual reality hardware and software systems to VA Health Care medical facilities, with the long-term goal of providing access to the StrongMind technology to veterans at every VA facility in the United States.

SoldierStrong and USC, in collaboration with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, an organization which promotes innovations in the healthcare industry which directly benefit veterans, were among 150 nominees for this year’s Igniting Innovation Awards. Submissions focused on a wide variety of fields, including IT modernization, data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and robotic process automation. In June, the ACT-IAC announced 40 semi-finalists whose innovations address pertinent issues in fields such as healthcare, defense, public safety, aviation, and finance. From that group, the top eight were recognized at an event hosted by the ACT-IAC, where each of the organizations were able to present their innovations to the public sector and top finalists and an overall award winner were selected by attendees.

Vice President Mike Pence recognized SoldierStrong during his speech for the work that we are doing to provide revolutionary medical technologies to veterans. We are grateful that this year’s convention recognized the service and honored the presence of our country’s heroes. Thank you to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence for your generosity.

Several veterans representing SoldierStrong were honored to be so graciously greeted by President Donald J. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President Mike Pence at the #RNC2020 where they demonstrated the Indego exoskeleton suit used to aid paralyzed and injured veterans in regaining the ability to stand and walk again.

It’s often said that “not all wounds are visible.” This month offers the prime opportunity to reflect on that sentiment and conceptualize how we can ensure that even though some wounds may not be visible, they are still treated like those wounds that are. I believe this starts with the way in which we talk about and offer treatment for PTS.

There is an abundance of research and data about the presence of post-traumatic stress in veterans that is worth sharing and reflecting on. This month I encourage everyone to take the time to educate themselves on the subject and to review the research that is available in order to gain a better understanding. But for the sake of brevity, I will share one statistic here that in particular impacts and informs the work we do at SoldierStrong.

Between 11 and 20 veterans out of 100 who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom experience symptoms of PTS in a calendar year.

SoldierStrong is working diligently to provide those veterans grappling with PTS another tool to aid in their journey of recovery through the StrongMind program. In recognition of PTS Awareness Month, I wanted to shine a light this month on the service that StrongMind provides.

StrongMind helps veterans recovering from PTS using virtual reality therapy. Virtual reality can be used to deliver prolonged exposure therapy – the practice of recalling a traumatic memory while talking through the nuances of that memory with a therapist – an evidence-based method for treating PTS. Virtual reality therapy makes the process of recalling traumatic memories easier for veterans.

To date, the StrongMind hardware and software has been donated to 13 VA Hospitals and other medical centers across the country, allowing a tremendous number of veterans access to revolutionary PTS treatment.

Even if you are not a veteran, have never experienced PTS yourself or do not know anyone who has experienced PTS, I implore everyone to take a pledge this month to raise awareness about the effects and impacts of PTS on veterans. In addition, I think it is just as important to raise awareness about resources that are effective in treating PTS. This can be done by letting those in your life know about the StrongMind program and any other effective PTS treatments you are aware of to help build and establish a greater awareness of treatment options.

The greater level of awareness that we are able to build, the more likely Americans will recognize important symptoms of PTS and the more likely veterans will reach out to receive the treatment they need.

Learn more about the StrongMind program today.