BraveMind

Last updated 2023-03-09T15:37:21Z

VHA Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) collaborated with SoldierStrong to provide VA medical facilities with a virtual reality (VR) program that helps Veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress (PTS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recover from these challenges. BraveMind, developed by Dr. Albert "Skip" Rizzo and his team at the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California, is a VR therapy program that leverages cutting-edge technology to make therapy more effective and more appealing to Veterans and patients. Dr. Reger, collaborating with Dr. Skip Rizzo, wanted to make sure BraveMind could be available for Veterans with diverse experiences, so he brought the BraveMind prototype with him as he deployed to Iraq to get real-time feedback from soldiers to make the program look and feel as real as possible. Following the deployment, he worked with the BraveMind team to incorporate his learnings into the final product that Veterans benefit from today. The VR program is designed to ensure that Veterans and patients are able to experience this unique form of therapy in a safe and supportive environment, ultimately leading to a progressive healing process. To date, 28 VA medical facilities are utilizing BraveMind to support Veterans experiencing PTS and PTSD to recover from these challenges.