The Bastion Community of Resilience will be celebrating veterans’ health and wellness this Saturday at Wellness Fest, a free event aimed at connecting our veterans with resources and healing modalities that have proven successful for many of Bastion’s veterans.
“At Bastion, we look beyond traditional offerings for mental health and aim to introduce and provide access to new and unique interventions,” Bastion social worker Lovella Calica, LMSW said. “The body is impacted by stress and trauma so we must incorporate it into our healing journeys.”
Bastion’s social work team recently concluded our first ever Wellness Intensive. This eight week program was designed to build a supportive community to learn about helpful ways to improve mental health, especially as they relate to anxiety, depression and stress. Participants filled out the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) and across the board, all participants lowered their depression scores. Additionally, more than 60 percent of participants stayed the same or decreased scores on anxiety and stress.
“It was a great success. All of the participants found it meaningful and inclusive, and said they would recommend it to their peers,” Calica said. “One thing I found so inspiring was the way that they interacted with, encouraged, and supported each other. We are eager to share our wellness programming with others, because we all deserve to feel good.”
Acupuncture, cupping, massage, yoga and sound bath are just a few examples of the different wellness activities our participants utilized, and these activities will all be available to the public on Saturday at Wellness Fest, free of cost.
Last week, Bastion’s occupational therapy team kicked off our latest OT Wellness Series. This free educational series is open to the public and will take place every Monday at 11am through July 22. Each week will tackle different topics around wellness, self-care, and holistic health. Participants will be empowered with the tools, strategies, and education to adopt healthy habits and learn more about best practices for taking care of yourself.
Saturday’s Wellness Fest will begin with the ceremonial groundbreaking of Bastion’s future Veteran Wellness Center. This center will serve as a resource hub for veterans from all across New Orleans, and will increase our capacity to provide wellness programming, host public events, and create a welcoming environment for veterans to embark on their own wellness journey and get connected with the support they need.
Wellness Fest would not be possible without the support of Humana Healthy Horizons in Louisiana. We look forward to welcoming the broader New Orleans community to Bastion and connecting more New Orleanians with impactful health and wellness resources.
“Humana Healthy Horizons shares in Bastion’s commitment to our veterans’ health and well-being, and we are thrilled to partner with them to present Wellness Fest for the second year in a row,” said Rick Born, Vice President, Humana Healthy Horizons – Louisiana. “This event will help the entire community receive the tools and knowledge they need to embark on a path to better health.”