Creative Arts for Veterans
Former Veterans History Project graduate student Caleb Pittman recently reached out to us to share information about a new initiative that he is working on to support veterans’ wellness:
The Creative Arts for Veterans (CAV) Book is an interdisciplinary (human rights, social work, and art therapy) designed therapeutic guidebook to aid in improving well-being through arts-based exercises infused with social work and art therapy practices, veteran narratives, and supplemental veteran-centric wellness resources. CAV Books are accompanied with art supplies (oil pastels, water-colored pencils, paintbrush, pencil sharpener, and charcoals). Evidence based research shows that arts-based wellness can reduce symptoms related to isolation, anxiety, depression, loneliness, post-traumatic stress, military sexual trauma, transition to civilian life, substance use, and suicidal ideation. CAV Books increase access to mental health and wellbeing resources. Additionally, using art can assist in the development of coping strategies as well as post-traumatic growth. The CAV Book also contains psychoeducational material regarding suicide, suicidal ideation, grief and loss, survivor’s guilt, moral injury, and resiliency.
CAV Books are free to veterans, spouses of veterans, those currently serving, and service providers who work with veterans. We mail them across the US for free. People can request a CAV Book(s) by scrolling down on our website to “get your free copy” and filling out the request form: go.iu.edu/IUCAV
- Order free CAV kits: go.iu.edu/IUCAV
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creative.arts.for.vets/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creative.arts.for.vets
