Statistics and Program Efficacy

Statistics Behind DSV

Internal and External Concerns.

Unfortunately, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on the national stage has struggled in their perceived care of veterans.  There is no doubt that many VA hospitals and regional care centers take excellent care of veterans.  However, scandals have plagued the overall image of the VA creating a RELUCTANCE in many veterans to seek care from their local VA facility.  Many whom seek treatment for PTSD and other combat related traumas report the same methodology - prescriptions of highly addictive narcotics and group counseling with a counselor that cannot relate to the individual Veteran's experiences.  A controversial Newsweek article by Art Levine titled "HOW THE VA FUELED THE NATIONAL OPIOID CRISIS AND IS KILLING THOUSANDS OF VETERANS" revealed even more disturbing trends where opioid based medications were PRESCRIBED often when not needed to treat PTSD and patients were at times, cut off completely from the medication without a plan going forward.

DSV Participants

The Veterans and First Responders that participate in our retreats represent each service level of law enforcement and first responder and span from actively serving post 9/11 generation to the Vietnam era.  Men and women, of all ethnicity and race, serving our country in various specialties in the military.  Yet even with such a diverse group we see many common themes among them all.  Pre and Post-retreat surveys established by the American Psychological Association are used to determine participants quality of life and levels of trauma.  Qualitative surveys are conducted daily throughout the week to assess day to day progress as well to determine if there are individuals needing attention in specific areas of their lives.  Key findings from the past seven years include the following: 

Service

A veteran’s time in service is often considered the high point of their lives—the moments they will cherish forever. Our participants are no different. Seventy-five percent state that they miss being deployed. This may sound ironic, but for veterans, times during deployment are often less complicated. There is usually a clear-cut mission or objective, many of the nuances of serving stateside are removed, and you build bonds with the men and women you are deployed with.

Our retreats replicate many aspects of this experience by creating an environment exclusively for veteran participants and living in tight quarters, far removed from everyday distractions. Eighty-seven percent of participants report experiencing “moral guilt”—guilt associated with what they have seen or done that often conflicts with the everyday norms they return to back home. And just as alarming, 75% struggle to forgive themselves.

Combining spiritual devotions with counseling sessions that address these topics has been shown to reduce these numbers.

Identity

For many veterans, returning home from service can be more challenging than when they entered the service. For nearly their entire career, they are told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it—they quickly adapt to an environment that creates order out of chaos. Their individual identity is molded as they transform from civilian to service member.

However, leaving the service and returning to what others consider normalcy is not easy. For all the effort put into creating the veteran, there is little guidance on returning home. Sixty-two percent of participants reported that they were raised with faith but lost it during their time in service. Following their service, 56% are struggling to find peace in their everyday lives, and 94% feel as though they have lost their sense of community and belonging.

Our faith-based devotions remind participants that a healthy spirit is just as important as physical health and supports mental health in finding their inner peace. By bringing veterans together, a new community of support can be generated and carried forward upon returning home.

Strength and Resilience

Struggles within the veteran community post-service were the driving force behind Deep Sea Valkyries. The founders and staff of this program have all suffered through the suicides of brothers and sisters, both while in service and after returning home. Our participants encounter the same struggles.

Finding strength and resilience is key—not only in these trying moments but also when another veteran in need calls upon our participants for support. Ninety-one percent of our participants know someone, or multiple veterans, who have committed suicide. During our 2017 retreat, two participants were notified of suicides while we were at sea.

Our program is designed to specifically discuss these tough issues—to bring to light the challenges faced by those suffering and those called upon in times of need. We open the floor to best practices from not only the staff but also the participants, demonstrating that strength comes from each veteran present.