Military Recreation is a growing field in the parks and recreation profession, especially therapeutic recreation. Many combat Veterans need a sense of purpose and belonging in a community for reentry into civilian life. Not only is it important for veterans, it is important for every person to have purpose and direction in life.
My purpose, my mission is to make people aware of Veteran homelessness and suicide. Through community outreach, I inform homeless Veterans about the Veteran Affairs Housing Program that I am gratefully a part of. In the United States, 33% of the homeless people are military Veterans! Through my extracurricular activities, I inform civilians that 22 veterans kill themselves every day.
It is extremely difficult for Veteran’s to reintegrate into a community. Veterans commit suicide because they have no sense of belonging in a civilian community, no mission, no purpose. Veteran suicides are also attributed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Over 30% of combat vets will come back with PTSD. Untreated PTSD and other mental illnesses such as depression also contribute to Veteran homelessness and suicide rates.
So how do I tie my mission into Recreation Therapy? Civilian awareness of this issue and community outreach is the key to helping Veteran’s transition into civilian life. Providing therapeutic recreation activities to Veterans and providing programs that raise community awareness and involvement in these issues will reduce the veteran homelessness and suicide rate. Therapeutic recreation will be an important treatment for PTSD and depression. Outdoor military recreation is a recreation profession that is growing tremendously with quite a success rate. I know this to be true. I am a Veteran. I was the recipient of an outdoor therapeutic recreation program. It saved my life.
My purpose and direction, my mission as a recreation therapist will make a difference in the lives of other Veterans with PTSD and depression, Recreation therapy will help combat Veteran homelessness. Being an advocate for Veteran suicide and homeless is my mission, it gives me a sense of self worth in my community, I am doing something valuable and important that save lives.
Recreation and Recovery Services 