Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network
Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers.
Approximately 515,000 men and women of our armed forces have been diagnosed with TBI between 2000 and 2024, and more than 20% veterans serving in the Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Gulf War (Desert Storm) have PTSD at some point in their life . Both diagnoses may contribute to depression and to the estimated 17 suicides committed by veterans each day.
The program places creative arts therapies at the core of patient-centered care at clinical sites throughout the country, including telehealth services, and increases access to community arts activities to promote health, well-being and quality of life for military service members, veterans, and their families and caregivers. Creative Forces is managed in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Creative Forces Programs
Creative Forces operates in both clinical and community settings, providing various avenues for military-connected people and their families and caregivers to advance their health and well-being through the arts.
The Creative Forces Clinical Program brings creative arts therapies to military patients and veterans who are receiving care at Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs facilities across the nation.
The Creative Forces Community Engagement Program expands the reach of Creative Forces by supporting community-based arts programs and activities that enable military-connected people to experience and create art.
