Editor’s note: The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of VA. Veterans should verify the information with the organization offering.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough spoke to Veteran gamers at the Warrior GMR Mental Health and Gaming Summit July 12 in Washington, D.C. The summit was held in-person at Howard University’s Blackburn Center and streamed on Twitch and Discord. The summit represented a unique opportunity for participants to engage with the latest initiatives in mental health and gaming culture.
“The Warrior GMR Foundation was created with a unique vision to craft a platform where gamers, service members, and military Veterans could engage in purposeful play and meaningful interactions that inspire improved mental health resilience,” said Josh Otero, founder and chairman of Warrior GMR.
The summit hosted insightful panels with leading gaming experts and included topics such as “Gaming for Wellness and Resilience,” “From Virtual Healing to Mission Readiness” and “United Front: From Battlefield to Mindful Engagement.”
During the event, VA Secretary McDonough underscored how VA works for Veterans and how it’s adapting to meet their needs.
“We need to change VA to fit in Veterans’ lives,” McDonough said. “We know that 75% of all households have a gamer, 45% of service members are gamers, and being invited into your gaming spaces allows VA to fight for you where you are at. Taking care of you is VA’s sacred obligation, to connect you with the benefits you earned and richly deserve. Bottom line, Veterans who get their health care at VA have better health care outcomes. Like gaming, we believe keeping score is important and one way we do this is through our trust score. We are proud to say that over the past 10 years, Veterans’ trust in VA has increased from 80% to 91.8%. This is important as we focus on mental health, being there for you in crisis and beyond.”
Veterans game together and virtual bonds are formed
Through Veteran gaming network Discord channels, VA staff routinely share VA information and answer questions with Veterans.
“The Warrior GMR Foundation hosts Warrior Wednesdays, where a representative from VA hosts a live townhall session to answer questions Veterans have and bring guests from various departments to explore the benefits VA has to offer,” said Otero.
Beyond Wednesdays, Marine Corps Veteran, gamer and VA expert Donnie Freyberger is available to answer questions and make connections.
During the Summit, VA also shared exciting tech-friendly solutions for Veterans and beyond, including:
- Future VA-hosted gaming tournaments.
- VR gaming integration into physical, occupational and recreational therapy.
- VA’s use of immersive technology to help Veterans with PTSD, anxiety, depression, acute and chronic pain, insomnia and more.
While Veterans learned about VA resources and mental health resiliency at the event, they also had the opportunity to lean into their warrior ethos with skill-building workshops and competitive play as they battled one another on the gaming warfront.
VA shares online events and even computer giveaways from Veteran gaming networks in the VetResources newsletter. Sign up to receive VetResources or check out archived issues.
