2018 Moral Injury Conference
On Tuesday, April 17th, Volunteers of America, Dakotas had the privilege of hosting a Moral Injury Conference. This free community learning event offered participants continuing education units, as well as the opportunity to learn about what Moral Injury is and how they can best serve those who have suffered a morally injurious event.
What is Moral Injury? Moral injury is a wound of the soul that can have devastating effects on the spirit, mind, and body. It is a natural human response to a traumatic event or events. Though not a diagnosable psychological disorder, when left unresolved Moral Injury can play a significant role in the manifested symptoms of mental health problems. The objectives of our training were to identify potential moral injurious experiences, recognize behaviors that indicate exposure to moral injury, distinguish moral injury from other forms of trauma, learn strategies for recovering from moral injury, and appraise experiences that can cause moral injury.
The conference was led by experts on Moral Injury and in their field. Dr. Rita Brock, Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Programs at Volunteers of America, introduced us to what Moral Injury is and who suffers from it, Rev. Harry Quiett spoke to us on identifying Moral Injury, and Dr. William Nash discussed how Moral Injury changes the course of one’s life and how to recover.
We were honored to be able to present such a knowledge-rich conference on this concept, and we look forward to sharing more information on Moral Injury as study and research continues to be developed. If you or someone you know is suffering from a Moral Injury, Volunteers of America, Dakotas can help you to rebuild your soul and repair your relationship with yourself.