Funding Arts, Health, and Well-being Across the Military Continuum
Adopted at the 87th Annual Meeting in 2019
WHEREAS, creative arts therapies and artist-directed programs have the potential to positively impact the healthcare spending concerns, quality of care issues, and healthcare needs of active military and veteran populations; and
WHEREAS, the field of community supporters, advocates and practitioners has grown through Americans for the Arts' National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military (NIAHM) with 225+ National Directory members in 47 states and Canada and nearly 3,200 NIAHM Arts and Military Connection participants; and
WHEREAS, public/private collaborations, such as U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation and Americans for the Arts have provided training for healthcare professionals in 38 local Veterans Administration Health Care facilities resulting in more than 75 new and expanded community arts partnerships and more than 2,500 Veterans served; and
WHEREAS, creative arts therapies interventions, such as those provided through the Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, are demonstrating to be effective for aiding in the recovery of our wounded, ill, and injured service members suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS); and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of its "Arts, Health and Well-Being Across the Military Continuum" policy resolution that it has previously adopted urging federal officials to include the arts and creative arts therapies in healing, health and well-being across the military continuum,
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to support new funding to continue expansion of creative arts therapies programs at the Intrepid Spirit Centers at the Defense Health Administration and the integration of the arts and creative arts therapies done by the Veterans Administration's Office of Patient Care and Cultural Transformation through the Whole Health Initiative.