Trout Unlimited Veterans Service Partnership T3 2018
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Presentation at Sun Valley Higher Ground re benefits of outdoor recreation for veterans.
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Trout Unlimited Veterans Service Partnership T3 2018
- 1. BENEFITS OF USING NATURE CONTACT AND OUTDOOR RECREATION WITH SERVICE MEMBERS TROUT UNLIMITED TRAIN THE TRAINER EVENT SEPTEMBER 24-27, 2017 SUN VALLEY, IDAHO
- 2. Keith Tidball, PhD Cornell University Researcher and Senior Extension Associate – Department of Natural Resources Assistant Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension for Military Families & Veterans NY Trout Unlimited State Council VSP Chairman (TU Life Member) Licensed New York State Guide – Small Boats, Camping, Hiking, Hunting, Fishing 4H Shooting Sports Instructor – Shotgun, Rifle, Archery, Pistol, Hunting Aspiring 46er – Adirondack High Peaks over 4000 ft Veteran – US Army National Guard and US Army Reserves, Infantry – currently serving in NY State Guard
- 3. Today’s Objectives: • Identify the value of participation in outdoor recreation for returning service members • Analyze research related to using outdoor recreation with Service members • Become familiar with existing formal recreational/outdoor programs as well as informal opportunities in a Service member’s local community • Become prepared to refer Service members to recreational/outdoor opportunities
- 4. How can outdoor recreation help service members, veterans and military family with transitions?
- 5. Time spent in nature promotes mental health, emotional resiliency, and leadership development prior to deployment helps returning vets enjoy and engage with nature upon returning from deployments
- 6. How can Outdoor Recreation help when service members, veterans and military families are transitioning?
- 7. A new generation of conservation leaders & supporters
- 8. How does Outdoor Recreation help with service member, veteran and military family transitions? Outdoor recreation programs : • build a sense of community • promote skill development • provide stress relief and enjoyment
- 9. Evidence?
- 10. Evidence? • 98 veterans comprising the study sample were recruited and surveyed one week before, one week after, and approximately one month after participating in a wilderness recreation experience. • In addition to assessing demographic and background information, survey instruments were used to measure changes in psychological well-being, social functioning, life outlook, and activity engagement over time.
- 11. Evidence? • Study participants reported significant improvements in psychological well-being, social functioning, and life outlook one week after the outdoor experience. • There was also some indication that these improvements persisted over the next month.
- 12. Evidence? • Participants reported that they were much more likely to take part in activities that involved exploration and listening to and helping others after the outdoor recreation experience. • Changes in psychological well-being, social functioning, life outlook, and activity engagement were particularly strong for veterans who had initially reported more severe ongoing health issues.
- 13. Evidence? “Service members have a much higher success in reintegrating into the community when they are actively involved in recreational programs and support groups meant for rehabilitation.”
- 14. Evidence? “For the physical challenges… we sometimes provide rehabilitation trips . . . where the guys go rock climbing or whitewater rafting. When you complete some thing like that, something scary—where you could fall out of the boat, hit your head on a rock—when people pass that, they’re like, ‘Wow!’ That helps out a lot. Once you get them up . . . challenge them, and they complete that challenge , they feel like they can do anything.”
- 15. REWORRRS – RETURNING WARRIORS OUTDOOR RECREATION, RESTORATION, AND RESILIENCE STUDY “COLLABORATIVE ‘CUT AND PASTE’ CONCEPT MAPPING” (C3M) Two Collaborative ‘Cut and Paste’ Concept Mapping” (C3M) posters developed by combat veterans in the Fort Drum area.
- 23. .
- 25. Please share reflections on the findings from the “Collaborative ‘Cut and Paste’ Concept Mapping”
- 26. Key Takeaways • Time spent in nature promotes mental health, emotional resiliency, and leadership development • Time spent outdoors eases the transition home after a deployment and improves both mental health and social skills • Outdoor recreation programs build a sense of community, promote skill development and provide stress relief and enjoyment
- 27. Introducing Stacy Bare Sierra Club
- 28. How did we get here? Stacy’s perespective • As a Nation, we don’t incentivize health • Major stigmas on having any sort of identified mental health challenges • Even more stigmas around engaging in health treatment or a willingness to admit you have a problem, let alone engage in problem solving • Service Members and Veterans are fearful of losing benefits
- 29. How did we get here? • PTSD in veterans (anecdotally) is assumed to be chronic; PTSD in non- veterans (anecdotally) is assumed to be temporary • Treatment protocols focus on CBT, PET, or a reliance on prescription drugs because that’s what has ‘research’ behind it • Lack of PTSD awareness. For every veteran diagnosed with PTSD there are 5 non-veterans diagnosed with PTSD
- 30. How did all that impact Stacy (and other veterans)? • PTSD diagnosis requires a lot of work and battle for the veteran; – early diagnosis required veteran to remember, name, social, rank, and unit of the American service member they saw get killed—non-Americans or non service members didn’t count • Penalized for seeking out treatment and alternative therapies to healing • Don’t pursue VA treatment
- 31. What challenges/issues are you seeing with the service members you work with?
- 32. So what are possible solutions? • Refer returning veterans, or better yet, service members and their families AND returning veterans to create identities and capture the positive aspects of service outside of uniform – CONSERVATION is SERVICE • Invite people by playing up the positive, not reminding them of the negative: – Come outside for a great adventure! vs. Come outside to heal! – You can do cool stuff! vs. You’re broken and need me or my program to fix you! • Support opportunities that integrate non-veterans on the trip and ensure multiple opportunities for repeat engagement • Research and evaluation: are you doing something fun, or something that has lasting positive impacts?
- 33. Pitfalls to avoid • Absolutes: “THIS IS THE BEST ACTIVITY FOR ALL VETERANS” • Prescribing outcomes for an event: – everyone will feel differently about different events and will likely need a different amount of ‘touches’ along the way; – program may be the starting point or just a rest stop along the journey • Ego • Fearing data and feedback • Unwillingness to adapt to changing demographics of veterans and communities • Striving on after the mission is complete or has changed
- 34. Community Action • Finding overlap for programmatic integration between organizations • Supporting each other, promoting each other • Developing best practices • Collecting and promoting research and awareness
- 35. Community Action - continued • Don’t bash the VA; they’re a critical component to the solution • Focus on who a veteran wants to be • Promote access to the outdoors and healthy landscapes • Stretch as an individual or entity, but don’t feel like you have to do it all
- 36. What possible solutions and community actions would you suggest?
- 37. What’s Next • Great Outdoors Lab; initial findings show up to a 35% decrease in PTSD symptoms for an over night white water raft trip that stays for at least a week • New research is indicating that PTSD may be a sleep disorder—time outside is shown to improve sleep even in individuals with PTSD • More health care systems, like Kaiser- Permanente are prescribing parks • VA has stood up a whole health integrative program focusing on prevention
- 38. What’s Next • Brand new world of health care and health care practices is emerging; if we’re smart with the science and research, outdoor recreation should be well placed to capitalize on the opportunity • Public lands, clean air and clean water remain under threat, protecting those things protects what it is we as veterans fought for—our country and our health • Next research gathering—2016? AORE? SORP? Stand alone? • The first book of its kind was recently released….
- 43. What outdoor recreation programs for military service members and families are you aware of?
- 44. Key Takeaways Being open to alternative therapies to healing may provide unique opportunities for service members. Not all outdoor recreational programming will meet all service member’s needs. Formal and informal recreational/outdoor programs opportunities exist for Service members and their families. Refer service members /families to recreational/outdoor opportunities in a positive way.
- 45. Questions?
- 46. Dr. Keith Tidball kgtidball@cornell.edu Stacy Bare stacy.bare@sierraclub.org Contact Information:
Editor's Notes
- Anita
- Keith Time spent in nature not only promotes mental health, emotional resiliency, and leadership development prior to deployment, it provides invaluable know-how to help returning vets enjoy and engage with nature upon returning from deployments.
- Keith Many veterans experience difficulty adjusting to civilian life after leaving the service. Time spent outdoors eases the transition and improves both mental health and social skills.
- Keith Providing service members, veterans, and their families with quality outdoor experiences will help foster the development of a new generation of conservation leaders and supporters from within the military and veteran community, including family members who will work to actively achieve conservation goals and become outdoor leaders in their communities.
- Keith
- Keith The findings suggest that extended group-based nature recreation experiences can have significant positive impacts on veterans struggling with serious health problems. This approach is especially intriguing since many veterans may find nature recreation programs more appealing than conventional clinical treatments. Engaging in activities outdoors that involve physical challenge, camaraderie, and achievement of an objective may resonate with types of experiences that make military service highly meaningful and rewarding. Although more research is needed and many questions remain, the use of extended group-based outdoor recreation programs to ease veterans’ transition back into civilian life seems to be a promising approach.
- Keith The findings suggest that extended group-based nature recreation experiences can have significant positive impacts on veterans struggling with serious health problems. This approach is especially intriguing since many veterans may find nature recreation programs more appealing than conventional clinical treatments. Engaging in activities outdoors that involve physical challenge, camaraderie, and achievement of an objective may resonate with types of experiences that make military service highly meaningful and rewarding. Although more research is needed and many questions remain, the use of extended group-based outdoor recreation programs to ease veterans’ transition back into civilian life seems to be a promising approach.
- Keith The findings suggest that extended group-based nature recreation experiences can have significant positive impacts on veterans struggling with serious health problems. This approach is especially intriguing since many veterans may find nature recreation programs more appealing than conventional clinical treatments. Engaging in activities outdoors that involve physical challenge, camaraderie, and achievement of an objective may resonate with types of experiences that make military service highly meaningful and rewarding. Although more research is needed and many questions remain, the use of extended group-based outdoor recreation programs to ease veterans’ transition back into civilian life seems to be a promising approach.
- Keith The findings suggest that extended group-based nature recreation experiences can have significant positive impacts on veterans struggling with serious health problems. This approach is especially intriguing since many veterans may find nature recreation programs more appealing than conventional clinical treatments. Engaging in activities outdoors that involve physical challenge, camaraderie, and achievement of an objective may resonate with types of experiences that make military service highly meaningful and rewarding. Although more research is needed and many questions remain, the use of extended group-based outdoor recreation programs to ease veterans’ transition back into civilian life seems to be a promising approach.
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith I employed a method I have called “Collaborative ‘Cut and Paste’ Concept Mapping” (C3M) wherein participants are broken up into teams of 3-5 persons and are then given a simple task to, in this case, map the multiple ways in which outdoor recreation is important to veteran reintegration. Participants are given no elaboration on the task and outcome, but are simply given a large supply of magazines ranging from general health magazines, hunting and fishing magazines, non-consumptive outdoor recreation magazines, gardening and hobby farming magazines, lifestyle magazines, and electronic industry magazines. They are also given scissors, glue sticks, sticky notes, a package of markers of different colors, and easel paper. Participants are then instructed to spend the first 15 minutes of group time “brainstorming” what they as a group feel are the important meanings and messages they would like to depict, and sketching a general schematic of how they will depict these meanings and messages on their final C3M map. Participants then begin a 90 minute period of interactivity to create the C3M map.
- Keith Images and concepts from C3M exercise wherein participants report concepts and values such as reward, personal growth, maturity, patience and safety.
- Keith A C3M image with descriptors focusing on notions of togetherness, being with someone in the outdoors.
- Keith Multiple concepts are represented on this C3M including peace and solitude, goal orientation, and stewardship.
- Keith In addition to values of love, respect, and connection to nature, this C3M cluster indicates a strong feminine notion of interrelation, illustrating that the values of hunting as therapeutic outdoor recreation are not necessarily limited to males.
- Keith This is C3M image and interpretation point to one of the more recurring themes in hunting as outdoor recreation, a complex notion of family, feeling need and part of a group, and the ability to mentor junior members of the group.
- Keith An example of the importance of problem-solving and mastery in outdoor recreational activities.
- Keith This C3M clearly emphasizes notions of re-connectedness, and the relationship between interaction with animals and outdoor settings.
- Keith Another iteration of the importance of sanctuary, quiet relaxation, and simplicity
- Keith I used the general themes and concepts that emerged from the C3M to develop a semi-structured interview protocol, which I then used over a period of years with an organization focused on hunting for combat wounded veterans, interviewing roughly fifty men and women. I attended and participated in the hunting excursions and informed my fellow veterans about my objectives, but down-played any academic activities for the first few days, instead focusing on hunting and relationship building. By day three or four on each event, enough social capital had been generated to make the interviews relaxed and free-flowing, with the interviewees feeling uninhibited and not threatened. Though these interviews offer myriad specific and idiosyncratic explanations for why hunting had been a healing experience, especially hunting that occurred as a part of organized outings sponsored by my partner organization, important themes and concepts emerged across the interviews as well.
- Keith/Anita
- Keith Introduce Stacy Bare
- As a Nation, we don’t incentivize health; people are frustrated with the VA, but the VA reflects larger trends in public health in prevention, intervention, and treatment Major stigmas on having any sort of identified mental health challenges Even more stigmas around engaging in health treatment or a willingness to admit you have a problem, let alone engage in problem solving VA ends up setting up an incentive to be unhealthy and not heal—fear of losing benefits
- PTSD in veterans (anecdotally) is assumed to be chronic; PTSD in non-veterans (anecdotally) is assumed to be temporary Treatment protocols focus on CBT, PET, or a reliance on prescription drugs because that’s what has ‘research’ behind it Lack of PTSD awareness. For every veteran diagnosed with PTSD there are 5 non-veterans diagnosed with PTSD
- PTSD diagnosis requires a lot of work and battle for the veteran; early diagnosis required veteran to remember, name, social, rank, and unit of the American service member they saw get killed—non-Americans or non service members didn’t count Penalized for seeking out treatment and alternative therapies to healing Don’t pursue VA treatment
- Refer returning veterans, or better yet, service members and their families AND returning veterans to create identities and capture the positive aspects of service outside of uniform Invite people by playing up the positive, not reminding them of the negative: Come outside for a great adventure! vs. Come outside to heal! You can do cool stuff! vs. You’re broken and need me to fix you! Support opportunities that integrate non-veterans on the trip and ensure multiple opportunities for repeat engagement; one and done programs can be harmful if you’re not teaching tools for future engagement Research: are you doing something fun, or something that has lasting positive impacts? This is the difference between a free ticket to a game and a positive intervention, you need to understand the impact
- Absolutes: THIS IS THE BEST ACTIVITY FOR ALL VETERANS Prescribing outcomes for an event: everyone will feel differently about different events and will likely need a different amount of ‘touches’ along the way; program may be the starting point or just a rest stop along the journey Ego Fearing data and feedback Unwillingness to adapt to changing demographics of veterans and communities Striving on after the mission is complete or has changed
- Finding overlap for programmatic integration between organizations Supporting each other, promoting each other Developing best practices Collecting and promoting research and awareness
- Don’t bash the VA; they’re a critical component to the solution Focusing on who a veteran wants to be Promoting access to the outdoors and healthy landscapes Stretch as an individual or entity, but don’t feel like you have to do it all