Programs
At VA Gulf Coast, we take a whole person health approach when it comes to caring for our Veterans. Check out some of the programs we offer Veterans to improve their health that goes beyond primary and specialty health care.
Whole person health
Whole person health involves looking at the whole person—not just separate organs or body systems—and considering multiple factors that promote either health or disease. It means helping and empowering Veterans to improve their health in multiple interconnected biological, behavioral, social, and environmental areas. Instead of just treating a specific disease, whole person health focuses on restoring health, promoting resilience, and preventing diseases across a lifespan.
VA’s Whole Health System of Care and Whole Health approach aims to improve the health and well-being of veterans and to address lifestyle and environmental root causes of chronic disease. The approach shifts from a disease-centered focus to a more personalized approach that engages and empowers veterans early in and throughout their lives to prioritize healthy lifestyle changes in areas like nutrition, activity, sleep, relationships, and surroundings. Conventional testing and treatment are combined with complementary and integrative health approaches that may include acupuncture, biofeedback, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation.
Whole Health programs
Whole Health includes a well-being component designed to equip Veterans with tools for skill building and self-care. Well-being goes beyond any diagnosis. All Veterans can access well-being services to support their health and wellness. These services include well-being classes, complementary and integrative health and other well-being approaches, and health coaching.
Each of us has the power to impact our well-being. Whole Health offers the skills and support you need to make the changes you want.
Recreational Therapy programs
Recreation Therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, is a systematic process that utilizes recreation treatment and other therapeutic interventions based upon the assessed; needs of Veterans with illnesses and/or disabling conditions. The purpose of the recreation therapy process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to facilitate full participation in life.
At VA Gulf Coast, recreation therapy and creative arts therapy are provided for individuals and groups in our acute and residential patient settings. For our outpatient Veterans, we can help you participate in a VA National Adaptive Sports and Arts event.
Find out more about VA's National Adaptive Sports and Arts program and special events.
Local Creative Arts Contest
Each year we host a local Creative Arts Competition on our Biloxi campus to recognize the progress and recovery our Veterans have made through creative art therapy and raise the visibility of the creative achievements of our Veterans.
Each year, Veterans enrolled at our health care system compete in our local creative arts competition. The competition includes categories in the visual arts division that range from oil painting to leatherwork to paint-by-number kits. In addition, there are categories in creative writing as well as the performing arts of dance, drama, and music. Local creative arts competition top winning entries advance to a national judging process and first, second and third place entries are determined at the national level. First place winning Veterans are invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival hosted by a different VA facility each year.