Mean Monkey Sports, Montana River Guides, & Bearpaw Expeditions Team Up To Help Veterans Through Riverboarding
Check out this great event and riverboarding program to help returning veterans!
Mean Monkey Sports owner Matt Kuntz has done some amazing work with NAMI and has had audience with President Obama and spoken in the US Senate, and now he's teaming up with Montana River Guides & Bearpaw Expeditions to take returning vets out on the water...on Riverboards!
This peer support riverboarding group will utilize the high intensity sport to attract young veterans, promote perceived self-efficacy, life skills and group cohesion.
The Riverboarding Reintegration Sessions are open to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF-OIF) veterans returning from combat service who want to gain river boarding skills and access community support for successful reintegration.
The group will prepare veterans to effectively address difficulties associated with reintegration to civilian life, including symptoms correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
Co-led by an occupational therapist and therapists from the Missoula Vet Center’s Project Odyssey, the sessions utilize riverboarding as the primary therapeutic activity to facilitate a renewed sense of perceived self efficacy and civilian identity as veterans transition from military combat service to civilian life.
The first group of six to eight veterans will meet once a week on the Alberton Gorge and the Lochsa outside of Missoula, Montana for six weeks.
Riverboarding guidance and instruction will be provided by OIF veteran Jesse Scollin, the Montana River Guides (http://www.montanariverguides.com/) on the Alberton Gorge and Bearpaw River Expeditions (http://www.bearpawexpeditions.com/) on the Lochsa.
Between waves the group will meet on land to discuss riverboarding experiences and explore reintegration difficulties and strategies. The sessions complement existing mental health services by helping veterans who are thinking about seeking treatment for combat related disorders such as PTSD learn what kind of support programs are available to them and transition into actively fighting the disorders.
At the same time veterans who are already treating combat stress related symptoms or injuries will benefit from peer support and access to recreational sports that promote perceived self-efficacy and symptom management. All veterans will learn to support each other and recognize that they are not alone in the reintegration experience.
A similar surfing program currently runs in Los Angeles through partnerships between Camp Pendleton, the West Los Angeles VA and the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation (http://www.jimmymillerfoundation.org/oceantherapy).
The director, occupational therapist Carly Rogers, is providing training and mentorship to support expansion of the program concept to the Montana river community.
Further training and mentorship in the therapeutic treatment model of Lifestyle Redesign® is being provided by Karen McNulty of the University of Southern California’s Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (http://ot.usc.edu/patient-care/faculty-practice/about-lr/).
The Jefferson Institute is hosting a fundraiser in Missoula, Montana on April 2, 2010 to fund Missoula based riverboarding reintegration sessions. Donations will be raised though company sponsors, a raffle drive and cover charge at the door.
Entertainment will be provided by country singer Shane Clouse and the Stomping Ground.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards insurance, transportation and compensating the river guides for gear and safety support.
Ideally enough will be raised to expand the program to family members and significant other, include other sports and become available throughout the year.
For more information please contact Janna Kuntz, MA, OTR/L at jkuntz@usc.edu or (406) 239-3198.
Mean Monkey Sports owner Matt Kuntz has done some amazing work with NAMI and has had audience with President Obama and spoken in the US Senate, and now he's teaming up with Montana River Guides & Bearpaw Expeditions to take returning vets out on the water...on Riverboards!
This is a very admirable and impressive program that will likely be a great example for the nation on how to support veterans, and also be great exposure for the sport of Riverboarding.
Riverboarding Reintegration Sessions: Program DescriptionThis peer support riverboarding group will utilize the high intensity sport to attract young veterans, promote perceived self-efficacy, life skills and group cohesion.
The Riverboarding Reintegration Sessions are open to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF-OIF) veterans returning from combat service who want to gain river boarding skills and access community support for successful reintegration.
The group will prepare veterans to effectively address difficulties associated with reintegration to civilian life, including symptoms correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
Co-led by an occupational therapist and therapists from the Missoula Vet Center’s Project Odyssey, the sessions utilize riverboarding as the primary therapeutic activity to facilitate a renewed sense of perceived self efficacy and civilian identity as veterans transition from military combat service to civilian life.
The first group of six to eight veterans will meet once a week on the Alberton Gorge and the Lochsa outside of Missoula, Montana for six weeks.
Riverboarding guidance and instruction will be provided by OIF veteran Jesse Scollin, the Montana River Guides (http://www.montanariverguides.com/) on the Alberton Gorge and Bearpaw River Expeditions (http://www.bearpawexpeditions.com/) on the Lochsa.
Between waves the group will meet on land to discuss riverboarding experiences and explore reintegration difficulties and strategies. The sessions complement existing mental health services by helping veterans who are thinking about seeking treatment for combat related disorders such as PTSD learn what kind of support programs are available to them and transition into actively fighting the disorders.
At the same time veterans who are already treating combat stress related symptoms or injuries will benefit from peer support and access to recreational sports that promote perceived self-efficacy and symptom management. All veterans will learn to support each other and recognize that they are not alone in the reintegration experience.
A similar surfing program currently runs in Los Angeles through partnerships between Camp Pendleton, the West Los Angeles VA and the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation (http://www.jimmymillerfoundation.org/oceantherapy).
The director, occupational therapist Carly Rogers, is providing training and mentorship to support expansion of the program concept to the Montana river community.
Further training and mentorship in the therapeutic treatment model of Lifestyle Redesign® is being provided by Karen McNulty of the University of Southern California’s Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (http://ot.usc.edu/patient-care/faculty-practice/about-lr/).
The Jefferson Institute is hosting a fundraiser in Missoula, Montana on April 2, 2010 to fund Missoula based riverboarding reintegration sessions. Donations will be raised though company sponsors, a raffle drive and cover charge at the door.
Entertainment will be provided by country singer Shane Clouse and the Stomping Ground.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards insurance, transportation and compensating the river guides for gear and safety support.
Ideally enough will be raised to expand the program to family members and significant other, include other sports and become available throughout the year.
For more information please contact Janna Kuntz, MA, OTR/L at jkuntz@usc.edu or (406) 239-3198.
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