This webinar will introduce the emerging role of outdoor recreation and restoration activities as therapeutic and resilience building for this generation’s returning warriors. Special attention will be given to better identifying and understanding the role of “care-giver” in these emergent outdoor recreation and restoration programs for veterans, and then exploring what training needs might exist for these unique caregivers.
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, U.S. Department of Defense under Award No. 2010-48869-20685. A few days after the presentation, we will send an evaluation and links to an archive and resources. We appreciate your feedback. To receive these emails, please enter your email address in the chat box before we start the recording. All chat will be recorded and archived. Understanding the Outdoor Recreation & Restoration Program Leader as “Caregiver” in the Military Context: Identifying Training Needs & Gaps Welcome to the Military Families Learning Network Webinar
Transcript
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, U.S. Department of Defense under Award No. 2010-48869-20685.
A few days after the presentation, we will send an evaluation and links to an archive and resources.
We appreciate your feedback. To receive these emails, please enter your email address in the chat box before we start the recording.
All chat will be recorded and archived.
Understanding the Outdoor Recreation & Restoration Program Leader as “Caregiver” in the Military Context:
Identifying Training Needs & Gaps
Welcome to the Military Families Learning Network Webinar
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, U.S. Department of Defense under Award No. 2010-48869-20685.
To receive notifications of future webinars and other learning opportunities from the Military Families Learning Network, sign up for the Military Families Learning Network Email Mailing list at: http://bit.ly/MFLNlist
Understanding the Outdoor Recreation and Restoration Program Leader as “Caregiver” in the Military Context: Identifying Training Needs & Gaps
Keith G. Tidball, PhDSenior Extension AssociateDept. of Natural Resources, Cornell University Associate Director, Cornell Civic Ecology Lab (CEL)Theme Leader, Environmental Dimensions of Human SecurityNew York State Extension Disaster Education Network CoordinatorFaculty Fellow, David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
– Introduction to outdoor recreation & restoration theory– History of Civic Ecology Lab involvement– Perspective of a practitioner (Ray Rainbolt)
• Summary of Current Research Efforts– Research questions and methods– Preliminary findings & implications
• What programs exist?– On post– Off post – out of the military
• What do people perceive or say ?– Positive reports from service men and women– Discomfort in some quarters regarding some outdoor recreation activities– Perspective of a practitioner (Ray Rainbolt)
• Where do we go from here?– Is it difficult to think of outdoor recreation providers as caregivers?– What training do we think they might need?– How can we make that training available?
Poll
• Do you feel that a person involved in delivering outdoor recreation programming could at times find themselves in a caregiver role?
(yes, no, not sure)
The UUh-OhThe Unwitting/Unprepared, Occasional Military Caregiver
25,000+ non-profits serving military community 300+ doing outdoor things
LOTS OF WELL-MEANING VOLUNTEERS AND UNTRAINED PEOPLE
Introduction to outdoor recreation & restoration theory
Foundations
• Horticulture and other outdoor therapy not a new idea
• Rigorous research only in the last couple of decades
• There are many over views/reviews of this literature• Abraham, Sommerhalder, & Abel, 2010• Annerstedt & Wahrborg, 2011• Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, & Pullin, 2010• Bratman, Hamilton, & Daily, 2012• Frumkin, 2001• Maller, Townsend, Pryor, Brown, & St. Leger, 2006• Pretty, 2004• Stigsdotter et al., 2011• Ward Thompson, 2011
Introduction to outdoor recreation & restoration theory
• Hyer, Lee, Boyd, Stephanie, Scurfield, Ray, Smith, Dale, & Burke, Jim. (1996). Effects of Outward Bound Experience as an adjunct to inpatient PTSD treatment of war veterans. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 52(3), 263-278.
• Gelkopf, Marc, Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit, Bikman, Menashe, & Kravetz, Shlomo. (2013). Nature adventure rehabilitation for combat-related posttraumatic chronic stress disorder: A randomized control trial. Psychiatry Research, 209(3), 485-493.
• Lundberg, N., Bennett, J., & Smith, S. (2011). Outcomes of adaptive sports and recreation participation among veterans returning from combat with acquired disability. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 45(2), 105-120
Introduction to outdoor recreation & restoration theory
“…group-based nature recreation experiences offered by organizations … can have significant positive impacts on veterans.”
“These findings also indicate that veterans with more severe health issues may find these programs especially beneficial.”
“The positive outcomes associated with these programs can partly be attributed to spending time in restorative natural environments, however there are a number of other aspects of this experience that likely play an important role, such as personal challenge and companionship with other veterans.”
• Military Families Defiant Gardens project -especially concerned with navigating the deployment cycle
• Moved to a focus on combat veterans
• Held a retreat to ground truth these issues
• Now exploring applications for active duty and transitional service men and women, through new collaboration with the Military Families Learning Network
Perspective of a Practitioner
• Ray Rainbolt - Fort Drum
Foundations
What is my project about?
Current Research
1) Determine service member & veterans motivations for engaging in hunting, fishing, & other nature-based recreational activities.
2) Specify associated "Greening in the Red Zone" mechanisms within social-ecological systems that confer resilience and produce virtuous cycles within the military, veterans and outdoor recreation context.
3) Identify community benefits of returning warrior engagement in greening and outdoor recreation.
4) Compare the outcomes of various outdoor recreation and habitat restoration experiences in adaptation and reintegration of service members & veterans post-combat.
5) Document the growth of the nature-based veteran reintegration movement and its incorporation into local and national policy.
Preliminary findings & implications
Collaborative ‘Cut and Paste’ Concept Mapping” (C3M)
On Restoration…Service men and women often ask, after a satisfying outdoor recreation activity, how they can get more involved in conservation – of the fish or animals they have encountered, or of the habitats within which they live.
Back to Uuh-Oh!Unwitting/Underprepared Occasional Military Caregivers
How do we learn from & build on what the Military Caregiving community has learned to reduce Uuh-Ohs?
Poll
• I know from experience that service men and women have experienced significant therapeutic benefits from outdoor recreation.
Programs on Post- Military Adaptive Sports Program
Programs
Provide recreational activities and competitive athletic opportunities to all recovering Service members to improve their physical and mental quality of life throughout the continuum of recovery and transition.
• Benefits of physical and cognitive activities include reduced emotional and physical stress, improved quality of life, lower blood pressure, weight management and enhancement of rehabilitative process
• Recovery is individualized and Service members are often accountable only to themselves, losing a sense of camaraderie in the process
• Adaptive athletic activities allow Service members to focus on contributing to a team’s success and build camaraderie
• MASP encourages positive lifestyle development and contributes to healthy relationships with family and friends
Programs on Post- Military Adaptive Sports Program
Programs
• Water sports and activities – including swimming, surfing, scuba diving, paddling, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing
• Outdoor sports and activities – including cross country, track, cycling, golf, hiking, rock climbing, rodeo, snow skiing, sky diving, archery, baseball, softball, field sports, equine, triathlon, hunting, air rifle, air pistol, skeet and trap shooting
Programs on Post- Military Adaptive Sports Program
There are numerous adaptive activities available to recovering Service members, and the number continues to increase to meet the needs and the adventure levels of the Service members. Some of the activities include:
Programs
Mr. Jeff LernerDirector of Employment, Education and Reconditioning Programs
Farming & ForestryFarmer VeteranFarmer Veteran CoalitionVeterans to Farmers
FishingProject Healing WatersWounded Veterans Fishing Program
HuntingFreedom Isn't Free Veteran HuntHealing Outside of a Hospital (HOOAH)Hero Hunt, Inc.Hunters Helping HeroesPatriot HuntsSportsmen's Foundation for Military FamiliesVeterans OutdoorsWounded Warriors In Action FoundationWounded Warriors Outdoors
Outdoor AdventureCombat Wounded Veterans ChallengeOutward Bound for VeteransSierra Club Military OutdoorsTeam River RunnerVeterans AdventureVeterans ExpeditionsWarriors in MotionWounded Warrior Patrol (skiing)
RestorationNOAA Veteran's CorpVeteran's Conservation Corps (WA State)Veteran's Conservation Corps (Chicago)
Upon my arrival to Rockport, I was very nervous; not knowing what to expect in conjunction with the fear of being the only fisherman to not catch any game due to a loss of feeling in my hands. However, with your support and hospitality, I was able to overcome my nerves and find comfort and relaxation almost immediately. That is very surprising to me, because I’m not usually a person that can find comfort in an unusual place. I don’t have the words to properly describe exactly what the trip meant to me during this stressful time in my life. This period where I face medical retirement from the Military that I have spent the majority of my adult life and have grown to love. At times, this period of my life seems dark and helpless, but this trip has brought light and hope to me. I was given the opportunity to build relationships with fellow Veterans, Veterans that have also transitioned from the military and have done so successfully. They offered advice and insight for my journey into the unknown and have helped me to find comfort and see that there is always life and hope around every blind curve; an experience that has proven to be one of the most invaluable experiences of my life. C. Pedro SSG
Programs
“Project Healing Waters saved my life… it brought me back from a very deep and dark place.”
Positive Reports from Service Men & Women• "This trip helped me to reevaluate what's important in life…It was nice to live a week
without being 'plugged in' and take in the great outdoors.“ Tim
• "It helped me to remember who I was and enjoy something I haven't in a long time." Dan
• “The pheasant hunting was awesome! But, it was not just the hunting, it was the fellowship with my fellow veterans and the all the volunteers who gave of the time and from their heart. There is a special healing that is difficult to explain when I get in the woods to hunt. It immediately calms me being in the woods or in a field in a country atmosphere. I was very at ease which doesn’t happen to often. ” Todd
• “The whole experience has been a blessing to me; to be able to experience the north woods and take the most important things back "knowledge and friendship" even though I didn't harvest a deer of any sort. ” Nathan
• “This program has given my husband so much joy and has given me peace of mind knowing that the people responsible for each event understand the nature of his injuries and work with him while he is out hunting or on the lake fishing… one of the best weekends we have had since my husband was medically retired from the Army. “ Sabrina
Perspectives
Discomfort in some quarters Psychiatric experts agree that there are benefits—with a big caveat. Hunting can provide opportunities for teamwork and goal-seeking that are often absent from civilian life, but any activity involving guns poses dangers too, especially for individuals with mental health issues that are common among U.S. veterans. In Maryland, the three veterans emphasized that common does not mean universal. They said they’re tired of the stereotype that returning troops are loose cannons who can’t be trusted around guns, a stereotype they feel organized hunting trips can combat.
Read more: Patriot Game: Groups Promote Hunting as Therapy for Veterans | TIME.com http://swampland.time.com/2013/06/22/patriot-game-groups-promote-hunting-as-therapy-for-veterans/#ixzz2syndlpqH
• A Poll here --- Is there room in the military caregiver definition to include “occasional” caregivers who provide important and valuable outdoor recreation and restoration opportunities?
(Y or N)
Where Do We Go From Here
What are some ways to ensure that we reduce the Uuh-Ohs in the growing field of Outdoor Recreation and Restoration activities for service members and veterans?
Understanding the Outdoor Recreation and Restoration Program Leader as “Caregiver” in the Military Context: Identifying Training Needs & Gaps
MFLN–Military Caregiving
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, U.S. Department of Defense under Award No. 2010-48869-20685.
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