TL/DR –
The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System’s Whole Health program, led by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Melissa Lewis, collaborates with the Valley Hive to facilitate beekeeping exercises for veterans. The program, inspired by the Manchester VA Medical Center’s Honeybee Initiative for Veteran’s Empowerment and Support (HIVES), allows up to 20 veterans to participate in hands-on training with bees, which has been praised for its healing and mindfulness benefits. Research shows that veterans in such programs demonstrated improvements in anxiety, depression, and overall health scales, as well as decreases in loneliness, sadness, and pain.
VA’s Unique Program Introduces Veterans to Beekeeping
Veterans are discovering the calm and camaraderie in beekeeping, thanks to a collaboration between VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System’s (VAGLAHS) Whole Health program and the Valley Hive. The program allows veterans to learn about the intricate and fascinating world of beekeeping, led by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Melissa Lewis.
This initiative, which started small, has expanded significantly, with up to 20 veterans participating and praising its healing and mindfulness benefits. “It feels like it uses another part of my brain that I don’t use every day,” said Air Force Veteran Mickey Clarke. “It’s peaceful, it’s joyful… like I’m tapping into something.”
Benefits of Beekeeping Among Veterans
Research has shown that beekeeping can significantly improve mental health conditions among veterans, such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, sadness, and pain. Lewis was inspired to bring this type of program to VAGLAHS, partnering with master beekeepers from the Valley Hive in Chatsworth.
Classes are held twice a month and involve lessons from master beekeepers, mindfulness exercises from Lewis, and hands-on training in the apiary. Despite initial fears about working with bees, veterans like Michael Malone and Mickey Clarke have found a deep sense of peace and focus in the hive.
A Unique Connection: Veterans and Bees
For many veterans, like Marine Corps Veteran Greg Martinez, the connection with bees is profound. Martinez, who has PTSD, shares that being with the bees provides a sense of calm and companionship, similar to having a pet. “When I’m with the bees, I feel relaxed…It keeps me grounded,” he said.
Moreover, participating veterans are forming friendships with those they might not have met otherwise. Mickey Clarke emphasized the importance of this camaraderie, saying, “Isolation is hurting a lot of veterans. Being outside, with other veterans, learning together, it really matters.”
Learning from the Hive
For Clarke, a hive is very much like a military unit, where every bee has a specific role and they work together to keep the hive and community alive. “If one part of the hive isn’t working right or is sick, it affects everything, just like any unit or squadron,” she shared. This program has increased appreciation for bees and their role in our ecosystem.
Hope for the Future
With the program’s continuing growth, there are plans to bring beehives directly onto VA’s Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center campus. The program is designed to be welcoming for all veterans, regardless of their goals, and aims to provide a healing space where veterans can learn, connect, and heal, one hive at a time.
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