EDP Student Receives Grant for Veteran Research

David Scheinfeld, a Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate, recently received a $25,000 Aetna Foundation grant for Outward Bound to pursue research on veteran rehabilitation. Scheinfeld's research evaluates the outcomes of Outward Bound for Veterans, a therapeutic outdoor adventure program integrating  wilderness-based group adventure with structured therapeutic group sessions. Using a team model, Outward Bound’s goal is to therapeutically engage veterans on behavioral, cognitive, and emotional levels aimed at helping the reintegration process from military deployment to civilian life.

In discussing this research, Scheinfeld noted, “Veterans’ rates of suicide and psychopathology are increasing and strikingly high—yet the rate of young veterans seeking and following through with adequate mental health treatment remains low." He later added, "Developing and evaluating innovative programs, such as Outward Bound for Veterans, will be critical to provide alternative forms of help that meet their needs.”