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Building Spiritual Strength (BSS)

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Veterans managing moral injury/spiritual distress are at high risk for suicide, have a longer and more severe course of PTSD and depression, and use more mental health services than their peers. BSS groups are an ethically appropriate, spiritually integrated model for resolving moral injury/spiritual distress. Two randomized controlled trials provide evidence of safety and effectiveness.
Versions of BSS are available for healthcare providers in the COVID context, and for individuals managing addiction; empirical data on efficacy for these versions is pending.

This innovation is scaling widely with the support of national stakeholders. See more scaling innovations.

Adoptions:

21 successful, 59 in-progress

Awards and Recognition:

American Psychological Association Div. 36 Award in Applied Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Endorsed by National Chaplain Service, Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practi ... American Psychological Association Div. 36 Award in Applied Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Endorsed by National Chaplain Service, Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practice

Partners:

Diffusion of Excellence, Office of Rural Health

Email

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

Statuses

AK: Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System (Anchorage)
  • Started adoption on 12/2020.
AL: Birmingham VA Medical Center (Birmingham, Alabama) AL: Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Tuskegee (Tuskegee) AZ: Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Prescott) CA: Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (San Diego, California) CA: Palo Alto VA Medical Center (Palo Alto, California) CA: Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center (Long Beach) CO: Aurora VA Clinic (Aurora, Colorado) CO: PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic (Colorado Springs) CT: West Haven VA Medical Center (West Haven) FL: C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bay Pines) FL: Gainesville Ninety-Eighth Street VA Clinic (Gainesville Ninety-Eighth Street) FL: Jacksonville 2 VA Clinic (Jacksonville 2) GA: Augusta VA Medical Center-Uptown (Augusta Uptown) GA: Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (Atlanta, Georgia) ID: Boise VA Medical Center (Boise) IL: Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Chicago, Illinois) IN: Fort Wayne VA Medical Center (Fort Wayne) IN: Indianapolis VA Domiciliary (Indianapolis Domiciliary) IN: Marion VA Medical Center (Marion, Indiana) IN: Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Indianapolis, Indiana) KY: Robley Rex Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Louisville) MI: Battle Creek VA Medical Center (Battle Creek) MI: John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Detroit) MI: Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility (Iron Mountain)
  • Started adoption on 11/2020.
MO: Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Columbia, Missouri) MO: John J. Pershing Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Poplar Bluff) NC: Durham County VA Clinic (Durham County) NH: Manchester VA Medical Center (Manchester) NJ: East Orange VA Medical Center (East Orange)
  • Started adoption on 05/2021.
NM: Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Albuquerque) OH: Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Outpatient Clinic (Columbus, Ohio) OH: Chillicothe VA Medical Center (Chillicothe) OH: Cincinnati VA Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • Started adoption on 05/2021.
OH: Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Cleveland, Ohio) OK: Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
  • Started adoption on 11/2020.
OK: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center (Oklahoma City) OK: South Oklahoma City VA Clinic (South Oklahoma City) PA: Butler VA Medical Center (Butler New Castle Road) PA: Erie VA Medical Center (Erie) PA: James E. Van Zandt Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Altoona) PA: Pittsburgh VA Medical Center-University Drive (Pittsburgh) PA: Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center (Wilkes-Barre) RI: Providence VA Medical Center (Providence) TN: Alvin C. York Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Murfreesboro) TN: James H. Quillen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Mountain Home, Tennessee)
  • Started adoption on 11/2020.
TN: Johnson City VA Clinic (Johnson City) TN: Nashville VA Medical Center (Nashville)
  • Started adoption on 03/2021.
TX: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital (San Antonio, Texas) TX: El Paso Central VA Clinic (El Paso Central) TX: Harlingen VA Clinic (Harlingen) TX: Tyler Broadway VA Clinic (Tyler Broadway)
  • Started adoption on 10/2020.
VA: Hampton VA Medical Center (Hampton)
  • Started adoption on 05/2021.
VA: Richmond VA Medical Center (Richmond, Virginia)
  • Started adoption on 03/2021.
VA: Salem VA Medical Center (Salem, Virginia) WI: Madison West VA Clinic (Madison West) WI: Tomah VA Medical Center (Tomah) WV: Martinsburg VA Medical Center (Martinsburg) WY: Cheyenne VA Medical Center (Cheyenne)

There are no unsuccessful adoptions for this innovation.

Multimedia

Images

Above:

Published articles on BSS

Videos

Above:

Training videos describing the theory and some of the techniques used in the BSS protocol.

Above:

Example of the Empty Chair Technique

Above:

Example of Session 6, Forgiveness