Veterans’ Mental Health: VA and Entertainment Industries Council

To contact us Click HERE

VA and Entertainment Industries Council Launch Resource on Veterans’ Mental Health

Publication to Support the Creative Process in Film and Television Industry

WASHINGTON – September 24, 2012 - A powerful new tool is available to the entertainment industry with the release of Picture This: Veteran Mental Health Challenges and Solutions, a comprehensive guide to assist members of the creative arts community in accurately portraying mental health issues Veterans may experience.

“I encourage those in the entertainment industry who seek to tell stories about Veterans to focus on the topic of Veteran mental health in ways that transcend stereotypes and present a more honest, compelling, and powerful product,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The true stories of the Veterans I know and have served with are more engaging than a simple caricature of a Veteran with a mental health problem.”

The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC), in collaboration with and sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, developed this guide with input from mental health experts, Veterans, advocates, policymakers, the entertainment industry, and many others who are committed to honoring the service of Veterans and helping them overcome challenges.

Picture This was written to help writers, actors, producers, and others create authentic depictions of Veterans facing and overcoming mental health challenges. The publication was developed as a result of forums in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., that brought together mental health experts, members of the entertainment community, and Veterans to share powerful testimonials of their own challenges and triumphs. read more>>>