‘Taking the Reins’ for Today’s Veterans
The Bob Woodruff Foundation hosted “Taking the Reins: Exploring Equine-Assisted Activities & Therapies for Today’s Veterans,” recently at the Silver Bay YMCA, in Lake George, N.Y.
The High Impact Collaboration™ event convened subject matter experts and partners to explore the efficacy and effectiveness of these programs in treating veterans and service members with physical and mental health issues.
“The Bob Woodruff Foundation is committed to ensuring that the needs of post-9/11 veterans are properly identified and the resources available to them are safe, sound and easy to access,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, BWF executive director. “Collaborative events like this bring together the brightest minds committed to creating impactful outcomes.”
The Bob Woodruff Foundation partnered with the Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) to ensure a high quality agenda and to identify the most appropriate participants to represent the equine-assisted activities and therapies (EEAT) community.
“The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International is proud to have partnered with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to further the conversation on veterans and equine assisted activities and therapies. Gathering experts from the field of EAAT as well as veteran’s services, this convening provided the opportunity for important and meaningful discussions on benefits, best practices, research and how EAAT fits into the overall landscape of veteran’s programs,” said Kathy Alm, CEO of PATH Intl. “Kudos to the Bob Woodruff Foundation for approaching these questions in this manner. We are honored to be their partner on this journey.”
Lee Woodruff, co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, welcomed the guests, a cross-section of stakeholders — mental and physical health experts, government representatives, equine therapy service providers, funders, veterans, and veteran service providers.
The panel discussions included thoughtful dialogue addressing the science and evidence behind EAAT, good business practices, and how EAAT can best serve veterans.
Moderators included Alm; Dr. Meg Harrell, director of programs and partnerships for BWF; Hank Riegel, recreation therapy supervisor, Department of Veterans Affairs; and Dr. Jackie Maffucci, research director, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
The Bob Woodruff Foundation will compile the discussion and findings from the convening into a report that will be published in the near future.
In the meantime, equine programs are increasingly serving veterans and the Bob Woodruff Foundation looks forward to engaging them within the complementary veteran landscape.
“Taking the Reins” is one of several High Impact Collaboration™ convenings that the Bob Woodruff Foundation has hosted in recent years. Others have focused on adaptive sports, service dogs, barriers to employment, and intimacy after injury. To learn more about the Bob Woodruff Foundation and its collaborative initiatives, visit www.bobwoodrufffoundation.org.
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