Rita Brock's seminar: Building Resilience and Fortitude to Combat Moral Wounding
On Tuesday, 17th January 2023, at 7pm GMT / 1pm CST, a community engagement event titled "Outreach & Community Engagement" will take place. The key speaker for the event will be Dr Rita Nakashima Brock, Director of the Shay Moral Injury Center and Senior Vice President of Volunteers of America (VOA).
Dr Brock is renowned for her work in educating and researching about moral injury, particularly in veterans and those affected by it. She will be sharing insights into the encouraging results of "ReST 4 Veterans", a program designed to help veterans dealing with moral injury.
"ReST 4 Veterans" is part of VOA's broader Resilience Strength Training program, and it utilises trained peers—veterans with shared experiences—to provide emotional and practical support. These trained peers help veterans process difficult emotions and moral challenges related to their military service, fostering healing and resilience.
The program focuses on peer-led interventions, where veterans who have been trained are able to recognise signs of moral distress and injury, facilitate conversations, and guide fellow veterans towards coping strategies and professional resources if needed. This peer support model leverages shared military background to build trust and understanding that can be crucial for addressing complex psychological and moral issues unique to veterans.
The event is co-sponsored by the Shay Moral Injury Center at VOA and organised by the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School. For a precise description of how the program trains peers and delivers support for moral injury and distress in veterans, it is recommended to consult direct resources from veteran support organisations or the program's official publications.
Dr Brock is also the co-author of several books, including "Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War" (2012) and "Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering and the Search for What Saves Us" (2001). She currently works with VOA mental health providers, professional chaplains, and veterans and their families to help address moral injury.
Unfortunately, the current search results do not provide detailed information on the operational methods of the ReST 4 Veterans program. For more information, it is advisable to consult the program's official resources or veteran support organisations.
