New Partnerships: Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center

Boot Campaign is proud to announce that its Health and Wellness pipeline is expanding to include two new, world-renowned referral partners: The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center.

Providers of innovative and evidence-based programs, both organizations have teams dedicated to working with veterans and military service-members. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, these dynamic programs aim to treat root causes of post-service challenges, not just symptoms, and are offered at no cost to participants.

“We look forward to working with Boot Campaign’s health and wellness program participants,” said Emory Healthcare Veterans Program director Barbara O. Rothbaum, PhD. “Our goals are well-aligned. We both want to make sure that veterans receive the most innovative treatment and care so that they can live successful and fulfilling post-service lives.”

Dr. Rothbaum, who is also professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, has been working in the PTSD field since 1986 and pioneered virtual reality exposure (VRE) therapy to help veterans and service members face their worst memories and move on with their lives.

Depending on individual need, at Emory treatment is available for TBI, MST (military sexual trauma), anxiety and depression, in addition to PTSD. Top specialists are on hand in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neurology, rehabilitative medicine and wellness. Customized services may include talk therapy (individual and group), virtual reality exposure therapy (VRE), medication, acupuncture, yoga, massage, stress management skills, sleep training, and finance and careers training.

Six miles to the west of Emory resides Shepherd Center. This year Shepherd was ranked as one of the top 10 best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Shepherd launched its SHARE Military initiative in 2008 to help post-9/11 service members with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the psychological or behavioral health changes that may accompany the TBI. Less than 10 years later, 84% of SHARE’s program participants in 2017 met their therapy goals by discharge and 93% would recommend the program to a friend.

“Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative was founded to provide comprehensive brain injury and post-traumatic stress rehabilitation for service members who have served in the U.S. military since September 11, 2001,” explained Jackie Breitenstein, SHARE’S clinical program manager. ”We’re excited that Boot Campaign also is committed to serving service members through their health and wellness program. We are looking forward to working with the brave men and women they refer to us who will benefit from SHARE Military Initiative.”

SHARE’s available services include physical and rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology, recreation therapy, nursing, case management, neuropsychology, psychology and counseling, chaplaincy, counseling for those in recovery for substance abuse, post-traumatic stress outpatient treatment, individual, family and group therapy, client/family education, cognitive rehabilitation, vestibular (dizziness and balance) evaluation and treatment, vocational/academic evaluation and community re-entry, life skills training and coaching, transition support to home, web-based support and education about tools and strategies for therapy support, and pain management.

“Emory and SHARE are world-renowned providers and leaders in their field. This is an incredible win for the brave service men and women who will have access their services through Boot Campaign,” said Boot Campaign CEO Shelly Kirkland. “We are so excited to be able to expand our health and wellness partner network. This strengthens our ability to support the needs of individual veterans. It also increases our capacity to reach more individuals and ensures the health and wellness program becomes an increasingly robust pathway to kick-start recovery.”

Boot Campaign’s Health and Wellness pipeline provides support, access and removes financial barriers to a holistic constellation of service providers that treat the brain and body. To learn more about how veterans and military service members, regardless of era of service, can get the care they need for invisible wounds of military service, click here.