While many returning warriors report reintegration challenges, research shows only a minority seek psychological health care. To address this gap and encourage warriors to seek care, the Defense Department launched a public health campaign, the Real Warriors Campaign, in 2009. The campaign's target audiences are service members, veterans, military families and the health professionals who care for them. The campaign's scope is worldwide with an emphasis on locations with sizable military populations. Informed by research and launched in September 2014, the responsive website (realstrength.realwarriors.net) and companion Real Warriors iOS app, is an online photo-sharing service and the military's first peer support app. Accessible to everyone, the vision for the realstrength.realwarriors.net website is to be the social hub for this user-generated content campaign and display images created by app users, where users take a photo, apply a Real Warriors Campaign key message (e.g., #REALSTRENGTH) and a branded graphic filter that includes the realwarriors.net URL. The realstrength.realwarriors.net website - which is accessible on all devices - allows users to "salute" (i.e. like) and share their peers' photos, sort content (e.g., Most Saluted), and access 24/7 crisis resources for concerns like suicide. The website is updated regularly through user-generated photos, monthly photo challenges and cross-promotion via the campaign's social media communities. The benefit of the responsive website is that we can effectively reach target audiences worldwide on all devices.
Contributors:
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON
Website: boozallen.com
Location: USA
About the Agency:
Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy and technology consulting for more than 100 years. The firm provides services primarily to the US government, and to major corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Booz Allen offers clients functional expertise spanning consulting, analytics, mission operations, technology, systems development, engineering, and innovation. To learn more, visit boozallen.com