Massachusetts General Hospital & Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation
Massachusetts General Hospital
The wounds of war aren’t always visible. Post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury affect thousands of active military personnel returning from conflicts—and their families. Often times, suffering in silence is their only option. We’re committed to changing that.
Need
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury drastically affect thousands of veterans returning from war, and their families. Suffering is often done in silence. Innovative new strategies are needed to help the families of returning veterans and their communities better understand how they can help them reintegrate and heal.
Project
The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation provided a $967,782 grant to Massachusetts General Hospital, Outside the Wire, Points of Light, and the National Council for Behavioral Health to launch a program to help break down the stigma associated with psychological and physical injuries.
Coordinated and implemented by Outside the Wire, the Theater of War presents dramatic readings of Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes to military and civilian audiences across the United States and Europe. After each reading, a panel of military service members and civilians lead a town-hall style discussion to encourage an open dialogue on the impact of war on individuals, families, and communities. The audience members will be provided with an app for access to a toolkit with local and national resources.
Project Leader
Phyllis Kaufman, pkaufman@theater-of-war.com
Partners
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Outside the Wire
- Points of Light
- National Council for Behavioral Health
- National Guard