Joining Forces with Veterans and Families: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Innovative In-home Intervention for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and their Families

A JCN Visiting Scholars Program

Helene Moriarty, PhD, RN, FAAN is a passionate nurse scientist with a robust and renowned history in nursing research spanning the last four decades. Her outstanding leadership in nursing research has been recognized throughout the state of Pennsylvania and beyond and has been hailed a Healthcare Hero for her ongoing work with military veterans and their families.

Currently, she serves as an Endowed Chair in Nursing Research and Professor in Villanova’s College of Nursing, where she received her BSN. She also serves as a Nurse Researcher and Co-Program Director at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, where she oversees nursing research in the Interprofessional Fellowship in Patient Safety Program. Previously she served as faculty at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing, where she also received her MSN and PhD degrees in Psychiatric and Community Mental Health Nursing.

Dr. Moriarty’s work continues to enhance the research and practice surrounding the ongoing and multifaceted challenges veterans and their families encounter every day. Her steadfast and passionate commitment to veterans is evidenced in her impressive and extensive collection of studies and publications.

Dr. Moriarty’s presentation provides exclusive insight into her ongoing work developing innovative interventions for veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). She will talk in depth about her study, which piloted an innovative program for veterans with TBI, called the Veterans’ In-home Program (VIP), that was delivered in veterans’ homes, involved a family member, and targeted the environment (social and physical) in order to promote community reintegration, mitigate symptoms, and facilitate daily functioning. The VIP was highly acceptable to veterans, as well as their family members, and shows promise for improving meaningful outcomes for this population when utilizing a home-based, family-inclusive service for veterans with TBI.