De-Cruit Favorite 

The failure of the United States to adequately meet the mental health needs of its military veterans has been identified as a national crisis.

When men and women enlist in the military they have a Recruiter. The Recruiter helps with every aspect of enlistment, preparing men and women for life in the military. During military service, they are provided with everything that they need; food, shelter, clothing, pay, support and training. Further, the military wires them for war. The military converts citizens into a soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. But when they exit the military, there is no De-Cruiter. There is no person to prepare them for life after the military; to help them leave the military behind and reintegrate into society.

Our program is called DE-CRUIT. We use Shakespeare and science to heal trauma. At its core DE-CRUIT is the process of interweaving personal writings with Veteran-related Shakespeare texts, applying stage skills for life-skills and completing the communalization of trauma within their community.

The DE-CRUIT program is a manualized course (currently being delivered in a 20-hour course known as “tier one”, but will also become available in a two-week, one-month and the complete course which is a four and a half month residency program) teaching Veterans how to re-wire around their unwanted habits. These classes are scientifically evaluated by Dr. Ali of NYU, with EEG’s (Electroencephalograms), Heart Coherence and psychological surveys.

The DE-CRUIT program incorporates and implements the very components that are so often under-funded in the U.S.: Theater, Shakespeare, Science, and Veterans.

Also, DE-CRUIT is not, a “one-off”. It is an investment in the Veterans that has a long-lasting effect on their lives, the lives of their family and the community that they live in.

On average, Veterans are more likely to: be addicted; receive harsher longer jail/prison sentences; be homeless; and commit suicide at a higher rate (20 per day). We have worked with, and continue to work with, over 500 Veterans. Among these DE-CRUIT Veterans, those statistics are not true.

Further, our phase one outcome data from a current study show that DE-CRUIT significantly improved PTSD, depression and heart rate coherence. Currently we are conducting a randomized controlled trial of DE-CRUIT using EEG (electroencephalogram) readings. Because we have manualized and scientifically evaluate DE-CRUIT, our program is transferrable to any community.