Last updated 2024-06-13T18:23:26Z

Creative Arts Therapies

For VA, creative arts therapies provide individualized and personalized opportunities for Veterans’ reintegration, adaptation, improved coping, and general wellness. Creative arts therapies such as art, dance, drama, music, and writing offer unique and distinct opportunities for the self-expression of each person’s individual feelings, emotions, physical abilities, and self-identity, as well as one’s relationships with others and the world in which they live. Thus, creative arts therapies are uniquely able to promote functional rehabilitation in physical, emotional, psychological, and social domains, or to the palliation of symptoms related to a terminal illness. To address Veteran-specific needs, VHA Innovation Ecosystem (IE) collaborated with VHA’s Creative Arts Therapy Program. Together, they have delivered WayaHealth's Virtual Reality (VR) Creative Arts platform to 73 medical centers across the country. This platform allows Veterans to participate, individually or in groups, in a variety of virtual experiences. Available experiences include meditation, gardening, music therapy, sculpting, mindfulness, and museums.

Origin:

September 2021, VHA Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) and VHA Creative Arts Therapy Program

Adoptions:

73 successful

Partners:

Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services

Overview

Problem

The inability to express oneself or participate in social activities can have long term negative health effects for patients, especially during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The capacity to enjoy life and to maintain self-esteem is vital to the well-being of an individual particularly when recovery or adjustment is involved. Based on a core ... The inability to express oneself or participate in social activities can have long term negative health effects for patients, especially during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The capacity to enjoy life and to maintain self-esteem is vital to the well-being of an individual particularly when recovery or adjustment is involved. Based on a core knowledge of human behavior and physiology, the goal of creative recreation is to develop an individual's potential for self-sufficiency and enrichment. Research supports the effectiveness of creative arts therapies interventions in many areas, including overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement. See more

Solution

Virtual reality (VR) applications offer the latest advancements to Veterans, while improving engagement, adherence, and self-management. Beginning in August 2021, VHA IE and VHA’s Creative Arts Therapy program have been working together to spread the use of VR in multiple VAMCs to address Veteran specific needs. Using VR in creative arts therapies help patie ... Virtual reality (VR) applications offer the latest advancements to Veterans, while improving engagement, adherence, and self-management. Beginning in August 2021, VHA IE and VHA’s Creative Arts Therapy program have been working together to spread the use of VR in multiple VAMCs to address Veteran specific needs. Using VR in creative arts therapies help patients increase motivation to engage in treatment. They also develop outlets for creative self-expression and promote a personalized sense of accomplishment that nurtures and supports each and every Veteran. See more

Results

Based on positive feedback from Veterans and providers, additional funding was provided to VAMCs that expressed interest in using VR for creative arts therapy. To systematically track clinical outcomes related to physical function, pain intensity, pain interference, sleep hygiene, relaxation, depression, and anxiety, a documentation template has been develop ... Based on positive feedback from Veterans and providers, additional funding was provided to VAMCs that expressed interest in using VR for creative arts therapy. To systematically track clinical outcomes related to physical function, pain intensity, pain interference, sleep hygiene, relaxation, depression, and anxiety, a documentation template has been developed and in process for national approval. See more

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

AL: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (Tuscaloosa) AR: Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center (North Little Rock) AR: John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Little Rock, Arkansas)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

AZ: Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Prescott)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

AZ: Carl T. Hayden Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Phoenix, Arizona)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

CA: Martinez VA Medical Center (Martinez) CA: Palo Alto VA Medical Center (Palo Alto, California) CA: San Francisco VA Medical Center (San Francisco) CA: Sepulveda VA Medical Center (Sepulveda) CA: Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center (Long Beach)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

CO: Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (Aurora Rocky Mountain)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

CT: West Haven VA Medical Center (West Haven) FL: Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Miami)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

FL: C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bay Pines) FL: James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida) FL: Lake City VA Medical Center (Lake City, Florida) FL: Orlando VA Medical Center (Orlando) FL: West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (West Palm Beach) GA: Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Augusta Downtown) IA: Des Moines VA Medical Center (Des Moines, Iowa)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

IA: Iowa City VA Medical Center (Iowa City, Iowa) IL: Edward Hines Junior Hospital (Hines) IN: Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

KY: Robley Rex Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Louisville)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

LA: Alexandria VA Medical Center (Alexandria, Louisiana) LA: New Orleans VA Medical Center (New Orleans)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

MD: Baltimore VA Medical Center (Baltimore) MI: John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Detroit)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

MI: Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility (Iron Mountain) MN: Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) MO: Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Columbia, Missouri)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

MO: John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital (St. Louis John Cochran) MT: Fort Harrison VA Medical Center (Fort Harrison) NC: Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Asheville)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

NC: Durham VA Medical Center (Durham) ND: Fargo VA Medical Center (Fargo) NE: Grand Island VA Medical Center (Grand Island) NM: Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Albuquerque) NV: Ioannis A. Lougaris Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Reno) NY: Bath VA Medical Center (Bath) NY: Canandaigua VA Medical Center (Canandaigua) NY: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hospital (Montrose, New York)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

NY: James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bronx) NY: Margaret Cochran Corbin VA Campus (Manhattan) NY: St. Albans VA Medical Center (St. Albans) OH: Chillicothe VA Medical Center (Chillicothe) OH: Columbus VA Clinic (Columbus Airport Drive) OH: Dayton VA Medical Center (Dayton) OH: Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Cleveland, Ohio) OK: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center (Oklahoma City) OR: Portland VA Medical Center (Portland, Oregon) PA: Lebanon VA Medical Center (Lebanon) PA: Pittsburgh VA Medical Center-University Drive (Pittsburgh) PR: San Juan VA Medical Center (San Juan) SC: Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Columbia, South Carolina) SD: Hot Springs VA Medical Center (Hot Springs, South Dakota) SD: Sioux City VA Clinic (Sioux City) TN: Alvin C. York Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Murfreesboro) TX: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital (San Antonio, Texas) TX: El Paso VA Clinic (El Paso) TX: Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Houston)

Started adoption on 08/2022.

TX: Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center (Bonham) TX: Thomas E. Creek Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Amarillo) UT: George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Salt Lake City) VA: Hampton VA Medical Center (Hampton) WA: Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Spokane, Washington) WA: Seattle VA Medical Center (Seattle) WA: Vancouver VA Medical Center (Vancouver) WI: Clement J. Zablocki Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) WI: Milwaukee VA Clinic (Milwaukee MLK Drive) WI: Tomah VA Medical Center (Tomah) WY: Cheyenne VA Medical Center (Cheyenne) WY: Sheridan VA Medical Center (Sheridan)

There are no in-progress adoptions for this innovation.

There are no unsuccessful adoptions for this innovation.

Implementation

Core Resources

Resource type	Resource description
TOOLS	A national reminder dialogue template is available to document all sessions using this platform. The template is entitled VA-RPS Virtual Reality Creative Arts Therapy Template.

Links

Please refer to the VHA XR Playbook for implementation guidance and related resources. XR Playbook

Contact

Comment

Comments and replies are disabled for retired innovations and non-VA users.

Email

Email VAImmersive@va.gov with questions about this innovation.

Search tags

Access to Care Extended Reality (XR) Inpatient Care Outpatient Care VA Immersive Veteran Experience Whole Health

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