“VISIONS OF WARRIORS” IS COVERED ON THE CENTER FOR DEPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY BLOG

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“Visions of Warriors” is covered on the Uniformed Services University / Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) Blog by Laura Copland, who is a Cognitive Behavioral Trainer at the center. According to their website, the mission of the Center for Deployment Psychology is to “lead the development of a community of culturally mindful and clinically competent providers through he delivery of high-quality training and education, the convening of experts, and the dissemination of research-based treatment and the latest topics in military behavioral health.” We’re so excited to work such a great organization that focuses on training the next generation of military behavioral health providers. Thank you to Laura Copland and the CDP for this insightful blog post. Thank you again to Paula Domenici and the CDP for including our film as part of their talks on moral injury earlier in the year.

To read the blog post:
http://deploymentpsych.org/blog/staff-perspective-visions-warriors-veteran-photo-recovery-project

To learn more about the Center for Deployment Psychology:
http://deploymentpsych.org/

THE VETERAN PHOTO RECOVERY PROJECT IS THE COVER STORY OF PALO ALTO WEEKLY

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The Veteran Photo Recovery Project is the cover story of Palo Alto Weekly—“Visualizing Hope: Veterans Overcome PTSD through Photography.” We’re excited that this incredible program is being showcased in this publication that serves the Palo Alto community and beyond. Hopefully, this cover story can help raise awareness about the program and the power of innovative photography therapy to treat rising veteran mental illness. We deeply appreciate the Palo Alto Weekly helping to publicize our screening of “Visions of Warriors” at the City of Palo Alto / Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP) Open Studio Event on Saturday, 11/18/17, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto. Thank you to Sue Dremann and Palo Alto Weekly for their generous support.

To download a copy of the print edition:
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/morguepdf/2017/2017_11_10.paw.section1.pdf

To read the article on Palo Alto Online:
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2017/11/10/veterans-visualize-hope-through-photos?utm_campaign=magnet&utm_source=article_page&utm_medium=related_articles

To read an accompanying article on three participants of the Veteran Photo Recovery Project: 
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2017/11/10/veterans-find-new-lens-on-life-through-photography?utm_campaign=magnet&utm_source=article_page&utm_medium=related_articles

“VISIONS OF WARRIORS” IS COVERED IN FEATURE SHOOT

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“Visions of Warriors” is covered in Feature Shoot, one of our favorite photography sites. According to the site, “Feature Shoot showcases the work of international emerging and established photographers who are transforming the medium through compelling, cutting-edge projects.” We’re so honored to be part of this great site. We’re always inspired by all the amazing photography and the talented photographers behind it. Our documentary is not only meant to raise awareness about the rise of veteran mental illness and the power of innovative photography therapy to treat it, it’s also a love letter to the art of photography, which has given us so much. Thank you to Ellyn Kail, Aison Zavos, and Feature Shoot for this incredible honor. 

To read the article:
https://www.featureshoot.com/2017/11/veterans-using-photography-cope-trauma/

“VISIONS OF WARRIORS” IS COVERED IN THE USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION VETERANS AFFAIRS 2017

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“Visions of Warriors” is covered in the USA Today Special Edition Veterans Affairs 2017 article, “Mission Recovery: New Documentary Highlights Program that Gives Veterans New Lens on Life.” We’re deeply honored to be a part of this great publication focusing on veterans and coming out during Veterans Month. Hopefully, through its wide circulation, it raises awareness about the rise of veteran mental illness and the power of innovative photography therapy to treat it. “Visions of Warriors” will be released on Veterans Day (11/11/17) on Amazon Video DirectApple iTunes, Google Play, and Vimeo on Demand as well as on our site: visionsofwarriors.com/store. Thank you to writer Kristen Schmitt, Sara Schwartz, and USA Today for their in-depth coverage of “Visions of Warriors" and the Veteran Photo Recovery Project. 

Download a copy of the magazine: 
http://ee.usatoday.com/emag/Default.aspx?href=

View the magazine on Issuu:
http://issuu.com/studiogannett/docs/veterans_20affairs?e=17063731/55110573

"INSPIRING YOUR PATH" BY RYAN GARDNER IN THE ASSOCIATION OF VA SOCIAL WORKERS NEWSLETTER

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Read a great article by Ryan Gardner, a clinical social worker who runs the Veteran Photo Recovery Project with founder Susan Quaglietti, in the Fall 2017 edition of the Association of VA Social Workers Newsletter.

To read the article:
http://www.vasocialworkers.org/Documents/AVASW%20News/AVASW%20Newsletter%20Fall%202017.pdf

Download the article.

“VISIONS OF WARRIORS” TO SCREEN AT THE CITY OF PALO ALTO / CUBBERLEY ARTIST STUDIO PROGRAM (CASP) OPEN STUDIO EVENT

We’re excited to announce that “Visions of Warriors” will be screening at the closing reception of the “Seeing Hope: Veteran Recovery Project. It’s not just for PTSD” Exhibition at the City of Palo Alto/Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP) Open Studio Event on Saturday, 11/18/17, from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in Palo Alto, California. The exhibition, which runs from 11/4/17 to 11/18/17, showcases an inspiring collection of Hope Books, containing photography and prose created by veterans in the Veteran Photo Recovery Project. Both the screening and exhibition are part of a two-week-long Open Studio Event in honor of veterans, coinciding with Veterans Day. See the City of Palo Alto press release below for a complete schedule. According to their site, “The Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP) supports the vitality of the arts in Palo Alto by providing City-sponsored, affordable studio space for artists, building creative community and fostering public engagement with the arts and artists.” Thank you to Conrad Johnson, the Cubberley Artist Studio Program, and the City of Palo Alto for this huge honor. 

Screening and Q&A with Susan Quaglietti, Ryan Gardner, and Ming Lai:
Saturday, 11/18/17, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Cubberley Community Center
H-1 Lecture Room
4000 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303

650-329-2418
*The screening is open to the public and free of charge.  

To learn more:
www.cityofpaloalto.org/casp

Download a map of and directions to Cubberley Community Center.

Read a press release by the City of Palo Alto about this screening and the CASP Open Studio Event.

HELPING VETERANS HEAL MENTAL ILLNESS THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Sonya Grigoruk, SG Public Relations
T: 213-810-1016, sonyagrpr@gmail.com
 

Helping Veterans Heal Mental Illness through Photography
New Film “Visions of Warriors” Follows The Veteran Photo Recovery Project, an Alternative Therapy Program at Veterans Affairs Menlo Park

LOS ANGELES, November 11, 2017—The Veteran Photo Recovery Project (VPRP), an innovative art therapy program at the Veterans Affairs Menlo Park, utilizes photography to help veterans suffering from moral injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and other mental illnesses by giving them a visual language and the tools to express themselves, an important step towards healing.

The project is documented in “Visions of Warriors,” a powerful new film released today from Los Angeles filmmaker Ming Lai. Ming spent three years following the efforts of Susan Quaglietti, an experienced nurse practitioner who founded the program, and documents her work with veterans including Mark Pinto, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot during the Gulf War who became a Buddhist priest and then an artist.

“In 2018, the U.S. will be looking at the 17th year of war in Afghanistan with no end in sight,” said Lai. “The untold cost is the many veterans who return home suffering from mental illness, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma (MST), and moral injury.”

During the Vietnam War, at least 18.7% of veterans developed PTSD (Dohrenwend et al., 2006). And during the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, data suggests that 36.9% of veterans were diagnosed with a mental illness—21.8% with PTSD and 17.4% with depression (Seal et al., 2009). Approximately 22 veterans commit suicide each day.

Approximately one-half of the veterans who receive traditional evidence-based therapy still experience symptoms of mental illness. As result, many alternative therapies are being explored, including art therapy. 

“Using art such as photography is visually based and it can assist with expressing suppressed feelings associated with problems such as PTSD and MST,” said Quaglietti. “This type of therapeutic intervention can be highly beneficial for some veterans and some even believe that participating in this process may have saved their life.”

The VPRP supplements traditional therapy, helping veterans learn how to relax their body, focus their mind, be in the moment, appreciate beauty, capture their subject, and affirm life, using this process to express their feelings, tell their stories, and assist their recovery.

The film will be released on Veterans Day, and will be available through Amazon Video Direct, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, and online at www.visionsofwarriors.com/store. The film received a generous grant from the Stanford Medicine & the Muse Program, premiered at the prestigious Vail Film Festival, and was selected for an Honorable Mention at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2017 Voice Awards. To watch the trailer and learn more about Visions of Warriors including screenings in Palo Alto and other locations, please visit www.visionsofwarriors.com.

About Humanist Films
Humanist Films, LLC is a film and photography production company, based in Los Angeles. Founded by filmmaker and photographer Ming Lai, Humanist Films is less of a traditional production company than an innovative think tank, gathering the brightest minds to research, plan, create, and change. Our interdisciplinary work ranges from narrative and documentary films to commercials and corporate videos to fine art and documentary photography projects. The name of our company honors legendary director, Akira Kurosawa, who was praised for his humanist compassion and inspired us to become filmmakers. www.humanistfilms.com

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References:
Dohrenwend, B. P., Turner, J. B., Turse, N. A., Adams, B. G., Koenen, K. C., & Marshall, R. (2006). The psychological risks of Vietnam for US veterans: a revisit with new data and methods. Science, 313(5789), 979-982. doi: 10.1126/science.1128944

Seal, K. H., Thomas, J., Gima, K. S., Bertenthal, D., Maguen, S., & Marmar, C. R. (2009). Trends and risk factors for mental health diagnoses among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care. American Journal of Public Health. 99(9), 1651-1658. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.150284

Toomey, R., Kang, H. K., Karlinsky, J., Baker, D. G., Vasterling, J. J., Alpern, R., ... & Eisen, S. A. (2007). Mental health of US Gulf War veterans 10 years after the war. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190(5), 385-393. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.105.019539

“VISIONS OF WARRIORS” TO SCREEN AT THE COLORADO PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION (COPRA)

We’re pleased to announce that the Colorado Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (COPRA) will be hosting a screening of “Visions of Warriors” in Denver, Colorado as part of their recruitment event. We had the huge honor of screening our film at the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association’s 40th Annual Wellness & Recovery Summit. Now we have the privilege of showing it at the Colorado chapter of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA). According to their website, “PRA is the premier source of learning, knowledge and research for the psychiatric rehabilitation profession.” According to the Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being—Mental Health Center of Denver’s site, they “provide a place for community members to connect with their neighbors, learn new skills and find supports they need to increase their health and well-being.” We deeply appreciate the PRA’s continuing support of our film. Thank you to Raymond Sedillo, COPRA, PRA, and the Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being—Mental Health Center of Denver for organizing this screening. 

Screening: 
Thursday, 11/9/17, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being—Mental Health Center of Denver
3401 Eudora St.
Denver, CO 80207

To learn more about the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association:
https://www.psychrehabassociation.org/

To learn more about the Colorado Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (COPRA)
https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoPRA/

To learn more about the Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being—Mental Health Center of Denver:
https://mhcd.org/dahlia-campus-for-health-well-being/