VA Interventions for Social Isolation: Social Prescribing as the Future of Healthcare
Lori Murphy, LISW-S
Social Worker, Columbus Ohio VA Caregiver Support Program
Columbus, OH
Prince Taylor, M.Ed
Deputy Director, VA Center for Civic Engagement
Washington, DC
January 11, 2022
12:00pm – 1:00pm ET
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Program Description:
Loneliness has been described as the social epidemic of our decade. Chronic loneliness puts people at higher risk for depression, anxiety, memory loss, and even suicidal ideation. Studies show that 57% of US Veterans feel chronically lonely; that’s higher than the general US adult population. The VA’s Compassionate Contact Corps is a social prescription program that offers friendly phone and video visits between trained volunteers and Veterans. The volunteer calls their matched Veteran once per week to provide compassionate conversation and companionship. This program has existed since April 2020 and has proven to reduce loneliness and improve overall well-being in Veterans. We will examine the role the VA and healthcare teams play in describing the difference between loneliness and social isolation and how they affect mental health and recovery outcomes.
Program Information:
Location: Adobe Connect via registration in TMS. See link below.
Audio portion through Adobe Connect using your computer speakers
Continued Education Units:
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