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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Endure, Evolve, Achieve: Stakeholder Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of The Swamp Apes Program In Restoring Biopsychosocial Functioning Of American Veterans, Manisha Joshi, Joshua Zaris Goldman
Endure, Evolve, Achieve: Stakeholder Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of The Swamp Apes Program In Restoring Biopsychosocial Functioning Of American Veterans, Manisha Joshi, Joshua Zaris Goldman
Social Work Faculty Publications
A growing body of evidence highlights the benefits of recreational outdoor therapy for veterans experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder. We employed the Hawkins Model for “Nature as Strengths-based Recreational Therapy Intervention for Military Members” to assess the Swamp Apes/Volunteer Wilderness Alliance (SA/VWA) in South Florida, which has among its key objectives ridding the Everglades National Park of invasive species (e.g., Burmese python). Focus group and interviews with 10 veterans and seven non-veterans (i.e., family, health providers) were conducted to assess benefits, risks, and potential for developing SA/VWA activities into a formal therapy program for veterans rooted in the American Therapeutic Recreation …