PsychArmor releases updated caregiver resources, supported by USAA Foundation

San Diego, CA – PsychArmor collaborated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program and caregiver community organizations to redesign and update three training courses in its School for Military Veteran Caregivers and Families, an extensive learning library of online training courses. Funded by the The USAA Foundation, this program improves the quality of life for caregivers of injured, ill or wounded Veterans and service members by providing educational resources and supportive services to these “hidden heroes” and organizations that provide direct service to them.  The three courses are now available online, free to individual learners, and include: Understanding the VA for Caregivers, Connecting with the Veteran in Your Life, and Caregiving In An Intimate Relationship. 

Understanding the VA for Caregivers  helps caregivers navigate and better utilize the services of the VA – the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. The content for this course was developed collaboratively with a working group consisting of the following VA departments: Geriatric Extended Care, Primary Care, Caregiver Respite, Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Experience Office, Survivor Resources, Vet Center, and Mental Health. The course was filmed in PsychArmor’s film studio with the VA Senior Advisor for Families, Caregivers, and Survivors Meg Kabat narrating.

Connecting with the Veteran in Your Life (formerly titled How to Connect with a Checked Out Veteran) provides information to help caregivers understand and address a lack of connection with the Veteran in their life. The new course incorporates a strengths-based approach to connections between a caregiver and a Veteran and is narrated by Dr. Colleen Richardson, Executive Director, VA Caregiver Support Program.

 Caregiving in an Intimate Relationship (formerly titled Intimacy Issues for Caregivers) embeds a strengths-based, caregiver-first approach into the discussion of intimacy and explains why intimacy matters to healthcare providers caring for Veterans and caregivers. PsychArmor filmed the course in Washington, DC with the VA's Dr. Pamela Birchett-Street narrating. 

The School for Military Veteran Caregivers and Families, sponsored by The USAA Foundation, launched in September of 2016 and currently includes 45 training courses. More than 85,000 learners have completed over 231,524 caregiver training courses since its inception, with 96% of the caregiver learners reporting that they implemented positive changes in their behavior as a result of the training.

PsychArmor is a leading national nonprofit and preferred training provider which specializes in military cultural awareness and competency. Its offerings include online courses, curricula, podcasts, webinars, live speaking engagements, and social media.

 “The continued support of The USAA Foundation for our caregiver portfolio has allowed us to ensure that our resources are updated and reflective of new research and innovative ideas ,” says PsychArmor CEO Dr. Tina Atherall. “Our school for military Veterans and caregivers has been one of our most successful programs, reaching more than 85,000 individual learners since its inception in 2015 .” 

About The USAA Foundation

The USAA Foundation recognizes that our nation’s military members, Veterans and their families have unique challenges due to their service and sacrifice. The Foundation supports programs that positively impact their lives and contribute to their overall health, well being and resiliency.

About PsychArmor 

PsychArmor is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation providing education and support  to individuals and organizations that work with, live with, and care for American service  members, Veterans, and their families.  For more information about PsychArmor, contact Carole Turner, Strategic Communications,  PsychArmor, at cturner@psycharmor.org. 

###