Healing Through the Arts: How Creative Forces Supports Service Members at JBER

Nestled in Anchorage, Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) is home to many branches of the U.S. military, including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, and Alaska Air National Guard. Service members face physical and emotional strain in their work every day. They train hard, serve far from home, and often carry the weight of sacrifice—both seen and unseen. For military personnel stationed at JBER, the long winters, harsh conditions, and remote setting can add extra layers of stress to an already demanding life. That’s where Creative Forces comes in.

In 2017, JBER became one of the first sites to join the Creative Forces initiative, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Defense. At the JBER Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Clinic, a music therapist came on board, with the addition of an art therapist in 2019.

Since joining the TBI clinic, Creative Forces' creative arts therapists have served about 1,000 patients per year at JBER and have made strides in linking patients to community programs, giving service members additional powerful tools for recovery, expression, and long-term well-being.

An Integrated Approach to Healing
 

JBER’s TBI Clinic serves active-duty service members—many from Army paratrooper units—who have suffered mild brain injuries during training and operations. These injuries can lead to headaches, memory problems, physical and emotional difficulties, and trouble focusing.

To address these challenges, JBER uses a team approach. Neurologists, psychologists, physical therapists, and creative arts therapists all work together to help patients. "We provide eclectic care," says Major Earl Banning, director of Neuropsychology. “[Creative Forces is] in the bones of the program. The therapists are integrated into everything that we do.”

Since JBER is an active military base, military readiness is central to the TBI clinic's mission. "If you have a head injury, we need to clear you to get back to active duty and ensure you're okay," explains Major Banning. “We owe everything to those people who've put their lives and their brains on the line in service to their country. We want to set them up for success."

Finding Confidence Through Music

Danielle Kalseth, a board-certified music therapist, has worked at JBER since the beginning of their Creative Forces partnership. Her work is grounded in neurologic music therapy, an approach that works well for TBI patients by helping them rebuild connections in the brain that were damaged by the injury. "When you're listening to and engaging in music, you're activating many regions of the brain, sometimes all simultaneously," she explained.

Specialist (SPC) William Blake Allen, a U.S. Army Fire Control Specialist, came to the clinic after a parachuting accident left him with memory loss and speech difficulties. Kalseth's treatment plan began with sessions focused on coordination and memory. As he progressed, Kalseth introduced more complex tasks, such as having SPC Allen sing lyrics while playing an instrument and tapping his foot, activating many brain areas at once.

"I've always liked music, but I was self-conscious about my voice and musical skills. Music therapy gave me the confidence to sing and play instruments in public," he said. As his confidence grew, he began writing songs based on his emotions, a significant step in his recovery.

The shift from individual therapy to group sessions marked another important milestone. SPC Allen joined Kalseth's Jam Group in the TBI clinic—weekly gatherings where service members at different recovery stages connect through music. These sessions helped him form lasting friendships and ease back into everyday life.

To expand opportunities to help service members transition from clinical treatment into a community setting, in 2019, the Anchorage Concert Association partnered with the Creative Forces program at JBER. The collaboration started when singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash visited Alaska. Having used music to recover from a brain injury, Cash was inspired to work with service members at JBER and other local singers and songwriters on a series of songwriting workshops. The success of this collaboration led to the creation of the Community Café.

“The Community Café is a monthly series that serves our veteran and military-affiliated families," explained Becky Kendall, community engagement director for the Anchorage Concert Association. "It's an open mic-style arts showcase where participants can share a song, a poem, their story, or any art they want with the community." Creative Forces Community Engagement grants have provided funding for the Café. 

SPC Allen regularly attended these events, performing his original songs, including those about his family. "These therapies have been the best thing ever," SPC Allen concluded. "They've allowed me to recover while learning more about myself."
 

Art Therapy in TBI Recovery

Another powerful tool for healing—art therapy—was added at the TBI Clinic in 2019, and in 2023, art therapist Logan Walton joined the team. Walton uses art therapy to help patients express what they may not be able to say with words.

"TBIs affect each person differently, often impacting areas like memory, emotional regulation, and executive functioning," Walton explained. "Art therapy provides an alternative way to explore and address these challenges."

Tech Sergeant (TSgt) Gregory Solano enlisted in the Air Force in 2012 and worked in Air Crew Flight Equipment. This job involves everything from packing parachutes to handling life-saving equipment (such as oxygen bottles) and emergency systems that pilots and passengers on the aircraft need.
 

TSgt Solano came to the TBI clinic after a concussion left him with constant pain and memory issues. Having been introduced to art therapy with Walton, he said, “Logan helped me work through a lot of it. She introduced me to art as an outlet, which was huge.”

Walton's treatment approach began with basic drawing exercises to enhance brain function and emotional expression. "I didn't realize how much emotional attachment there is in art until she guided me," TSgt Solano said. Through drawing, painting, and portrait work, he began to process his experience and gradually rebuild cognitive function. Over time, he developed his own artistic style, focusing on landscape art in a tribute to both Alaska’s natural beauty and his own journey. 

Art became a daily practice. "I engage in art therapy almost every day now. The military's routines are strict, so having this as a daily release helps. It's a way to relax, escape, and reset before facing the next day."

He also found community through the clinic’s Open Mural Studio, a collaborative art project that unites service members to create something meaningful and shared. "Working on an art project with people from various branches has been interesting because everyone has their techniques," TSgt Solano shares. "Being able to relate with others who understand what a TBI feels like has been huge—I've made some friends along the way."

"Creative expression is essential," TSgt Solano concludes. "It's significant because everyone experiences events differently. Having a way to tell your story allows others to connect with it. Art therapy provides the tools you need if you choose to use them. It adds tools to your toolbox for expressing yourself or finding a release."

 

Research That Makes a Difference

Creative Forces isn’t just about individual healing—it also advances the science behind creative arts therapies. Danielle Kalseth has helped lead multiple research studies, including one on music therapy for chronic pain relief.

"I love being a clinician who helps advance the field of music therapy," Kalseth said. She worked with Drexel University on a pain feasibility study, adapting a program used for cancer patients to help military personnel. Patients met weekly for six weeks to learn about pain, practice relaxation techniques, music-making, and to listen to music together.

Colonel (Col) John Romspert, a longtime member of the Alaska Air National Guard, participated in this study. After 30 years working in search and rescue, he was dealing with stress, anxiety, and physical pain. Music therapy offered a new path; it helped him "breathe and refocus" without using medication. "It wasn’t about mastering an instrument," he explained. "It was about creating sounds, getting in sync with others, and using music to connect. I saw people who were once guarded begin to open up and look forward to the sessions. It was transformative." 

The clinic recently began working on two new studies—a larger test of the pain study and the Auditory Cognition Feasibility Study, which combines speech therapy and music therapy. This partnership between Kalseth and speech therapist Heather Morrison offers a new way to treat brain injuries. 

Although progress has been made, researchers have faced challenges. Major Banning explains, "Doing studies involving art therapy and music therapy alongside brain imaging takes time and funding. These technologies show us that our brains form new connections when we learn new things. TBI can damage these connections, but they can be rebuilt through activities like music, art, and social interaction."

Creating Lasting Recovery Beyond the Clinic

JBER’s creative arts therapy program takes an integrated approach to treating TBI, embedding music therapists and art therapists directly into the clinic. This approach addresses both the physical and emotional needs of brain injury patients. The clinic-to-community continuum ensures that care extends beyond medical treatment into daily life.

Over the past seven years, about 7,000 service members at JBER have benefited from creative arts therapies. Research continues to affirm what providers and patients experience firsthand: creative arts therapies uniquely engage the brain, offering repair that medications alone often don’t achieve.

Mental Health flight commander at JBER, Major Brown, sees strong potential for growth. "We aim to expand our use of creative arts therapies, especially as more evidence continues to highlight the benefits," he says. "By integrating [creative arts therapies] with community initiatives, service members can more easily continue these practices after their time at JBER, providing a sustainable path toward long-term wellness."