The ArtReach Foundation » Project America

ArtReach Workshop at AATA Annual Conference, Savannah, July

ArtReach — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:36:49 +0000

Three Training Supervisors, including art therapists Edna Bacon and Miranda Smith, will co-lead an ArtReach Model demonstration workshop at the American Association of Art Therapy Annual Conference on July 13. Registration is limited to those attending the conference. For more information, see AATA website.

ArtReach at Military Experience and the Arts Symposium, EKU, July 2012

ArtReach — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:32:15 +0000

ArtReach Faculty will lead ArtReach Project America workshops and speak at the Military Experience and the Arts Symposium July 5-7, 2012 hosted by Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY. All events at the symposium are free, and will include daily workshops, peer-review sessions, roundtables, the release of the second volume of The Journal of Military Experience, the Graffiti of War Conflict Art Exhibit, and the presence of numerous veterans organizations. We will post updates as we get closer.

For more information and to register, go to here: http://militaryexperience.org/symposium

March 17- ArtReach hosts 2 Workshops in Atlanta

ArtReach — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:26:32 +0000

ArtReach hosted 2 workshops on March 17, one for Veterans Only and the other an Introductory Workshop for clinicians, civilians, and Board members. The Veterans workshop was led by ARF Training Supervisors Miranda Smith MEd, ALPC and Christiane O’Hara PhD and Trainee Priscilla Omega. The Introductory workshop wasled by Training Supervisors Karimah Dillard, MA ADT, Karen McCarty, LPC LMFT, Trainer Kathy Boardman MA, and Trainee veteran Carolyn Bacon. Participants in each group were guided through meditation and visualization, art, creative writing, drama, dance, music, and movement to access personal metaphors and connect as a group. Thanks once again to St Bede’s Episcopal Church, Tucker and to Georgia Shakespeare, Atlanta for their donations of space for our workshops.

Veteran workshop art mural

Introductory workshop-creating art

Introductory workshop- group sculpt

ArtReach on a Television Interview on Fox 5!

ArtReach — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:29:23 +0000

To see examples of our work with veterans and clinicians, check out our recent television interview and workshop clips in this article: ArtReach Program Helps Veterans Deal with PTSD

ArtReach Model for Military Mental Health

ArtReach — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:33:15 +0000

Two of our Trainers, Hugo Patrocinio USMC (Ret.) and Christiane O’Hara PhD, presented the ArtReach Model for Military Mental Health at the Third Annual Deployment Health symposium in Jacksonville Florida in December 2011.

Thank You Kiwanis Club of Atlanta!

ArtReach — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:36:45 +0000

Thank you Kiwanis Club of Atlanta for your generous donation in December 2011 for our programs with military families and children!

ArtReach at Harvard Conference

ArtReach — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:12:21 +0000

Christiane O’Hara, Co-Chair for ArtReach Project America, represented ArtReach on Nov. 2, 2011 to present our Model at “A Better Welcome Home: Transformative Models to Support Veterans and their Families Conference” hosted by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Thirty organizations were invited to share their work, and video has been distributed to over 11,000 individuals and municipalities. To see our ArtReach presentation, see below:

Click here for more information about the conference

ArtReach Team Members Go to Washington

ArtReach — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:02:43 +0000

Members of the ArtReach Project America team, Christiane O’Hara, PHD and Timothy Puetz, PHD were pleased to present at an invitation only National Summit called Arts in Healing for Warriors held in Washington D.C. October 14-15. This summit created stimulating, interdisciplinary dialogue that highlighted important elements of the future of arts and medicine in the military.

A keynote presenter Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, along with other prominent speakers described the evidence base for the efficacy of arts programs in promoting recovery from illness and injury, with special emphasis on resilience, psychological healing, family strengthening, reintegration, and other topics of interest to the military. Current and prospective arts programs in the Military Health System were discussed. Warrior artists told their stories through arts performances, displays, and descriptions.

ArtReach’s first professional conference was a success!

ArtReach — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:29:22 +0000

In our new partnership with Georgia Tech Research Institute, The ArtReach Foundation®, on July 22 and 23 brought together mental health professionals from the fields of creative arts therapies and innovative technologies to assist active duty military, veterans and their families with issues relating to combat PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The conference was held at the Georgia Tech Research Institute Center, in Atlanta. Speakers included Major General Maria Britt and Colonel Dan Zachman of the GA National Guard, Holly Pavliscsak, BS, MHSA, from TATRC, Ron Capp from Veterans Writing Project, Melissa Walker, MA, ATR, Healing Arts Program Coordinator, National Intrepid Center, Scott Mooney, Ph.D, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, and numerous other creative arts and technology experts.

The creative arts and technological advances are bridges that offer significant contributions to the mental health and resiliency of our military personnel, veterans, and their families. These advances include the capacity to reach huge numbers in need of mental health interventions. Additionally, they provide opportunities to heal the divide within, and between, military and civilian populations. This conference touched upon many of these applications, and addressed ethical issues central to best practices in the use of the creative arts and technology with these populations. Conference participants also participated in workshops led by ArtReach Trainers on the second day of the conference.

Part of the success of this conference was the sponsorship and donations that were provided by several local Atlanta-based businesses. Donations were received from Georgia Tech Research Institute, Bold American, Tucker Chick-fil-A’s, Trader Joes, Costco, the USO, PrestoMusicStore.com, Coca-Cola, and several ArtReach Board Members. Information booths and vendors included Capstone Corporation, the USO, Careforthetroops.org, VISN 7, Sleep Disorders of Georgia, and Real Warriors Campaign. For more information on the conference, please contact the office.

A Visit with Congressman Lewis

ArtReach — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 17:36:26 +0000

Founder, Susan Anderson and Advisor, Jim Stapleton, COL US Army (RET) recently met with Congressman Lewis to discuss ArtReach:Project America and its GA Pilot Program for GA Military and their Families.

ArtReach is most appreciative for his endorsement and getting others to do the same for us.

John Lewis Letter
National Guard Letter