Under the defense appropriations bill that cleared the U.S. House this week, a clinic at the University of Central Florida (UCF) is getting more funds to help veterans and first responders battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As part of the bill, the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) RESTORES Clinic, which uses virtual reality technologies to help service members suffering from PTSD, saw its funding under the U.S. Army’s Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation account increase from $27.7 million to $30.7 million. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate which is expected to pass it.
Dr. Deborah Beidel, who teaches psychology and medical education at UCF and the director of the program, made the case on Wednesday as to why this funding was needed.
“This critical funding will allow us to continue our innovative program, which provides treatment to military service members, veterans and first responders, many of who have no other options for care,” Beidel said. “Additionally, this funding will allow us to continue our scientific efforts to use advances in simulation and virtual reality to provide even more effective treatment programs in the future.”
Since being launched in 2011 with $5 million from the Defense Department, the clinic relies on exposure therapy which, noted U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s, D-Fla., office “utilizes virtual reality to return patients to the situations that gave rise to their PTSD.”
“If done repeatedly, the memory of the event no longer causes as much anxiety, resulting in substantial decreases in PTSD symptoms,” Murphy’s office said in a release.
So far, the results have been promising with more than 250 veterans and first responders going through the clinic. Two-thirds of them--66 percent--no longer meet the standards for PTSD after completing treatment at the clinic, a far higher success rate than most other similar programs.
Murphy and fellow Central Florida Democrat freshman U.S. Rep. Darren Soto went to bat for the increased funding and they weighed in on Wednesday.
“It is our duty to take care of those who take care of us,” Murphy said. “PTSD affects too many of our men and women in uniform, and I’m so proud UCF is finding innovative ways to provide life-saving therapy. Congressman Soto and I are pleased to see increased funding to support those in Central Florida who suffer from PTSD as a result of their service to our community and our country.”
“Congresswoman Murphy and I will continue to work with UCF and our colleagues in the House and Senate to find a suitable and sustainable new funding source that will allow this therapy model to continue at UCF and to be replicated across the country,” Soto said.
“We are tremendously grateful for the support of Representatives Murphy and Soto in securing this funding that can only be described as life-changing for the men and women who will benefit from the therapy that we provide through our clinic,” Beidel said.
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