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Welcome to the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Center (PRRC) at the DORN VA Medical Center in Columbia,
SC, a program whose chief aim is to promote recovery, education, empowerment and community integration for those Veterans
who have a primary diagnosis of Psychotic Disorder, Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder.
What is Recovery?
“Recovery is variously called a process, an outlook, a vision, a guiding principle… the overarching
message is that hope and restoration of a meaningful life are possible, despite serious mental illness… Instead of focusing
primarily on symptom relief, as the medical model dictates, recovery casts a much wider spotlight on restoration of self-esteem
and identity and on attaining meaningful roles in society.”
- The Surgeon General, 1999
The PRRC provides an educational and strengths-focused service that emphasizes an individual’s talents
and abilities to promote his or her psychological recovery and physical wellness. It is based on the following key principles:
· People can and do recover from serious mental illness and lead productive and meaningful lives.
· Education about individual tools and developing action plans to cope with stress, symptoms, and everyday problems
are important.
· Recovery involves returning to or finding new self-directed goals in major areas of life such as work, education,
housing, relationships, and recreation.
PRRC Staff
The PRRC staff consists of a psychologist (who is also the program manager),
a psychiatrist, an occupational therapist, peer support technicians, a program specialist and a program support assistant.
The staff also works with the Dorn VA Local Recovery Coordinator to promote recovery-based services.
Peer Support
Our staff includes a unique member called a peer support technician (PST).
A PST is an individual who is in recovery from a serious mental illness (SMI) and has received specialized training in providing
supportive services to others with SMI. They serve as role models demonstrating how to cope and pursue meaningful, self-determined
goals. PST’s also facilitate a variety of wellness classes.
PRRC Services
Services consist of individual sessions, groups and classes. Regardless of which services you choose, we strive to improve your quality of life to the best of our ability.
Classes offered include:
Wellness Management and Recovery
Relationship Basics and Boundaries
Keys to Social Success
Coping Through the Senses
Life Skills
Recovery Action Plan
Therapeutic Movement and Relaxation
Therapeutic Arts
Crafts to Heal
Recovery Cinema
Computer Skills Training
Classes are described in more detail in the following paragraphs.
Wellness Management and Recovery Class
This class is a series of weekly sessions designed to help Veterans develop
strategies to cope and move towards their personal goals. Sample class topics include building social support, understanding
depression, and coping with stress. Classes meet for approximately 1 hour for 10 - 12 weeks. Research shows this program helps
individuals decrease symptoms and make progress on goals.
Relationships and Boundaries Class
This class provides an overview of assertiveness skills, interpersonal
boundaries, and what makes a romantic relationship successful. Participants will learn how to say “no”, make requests
effectively, recognize boundary problems, set limits in relationships, and improve romantic relationships.
Keys to Social Success
In this class, the veteran will learn and practice social
skills related to a variety of situations such as starting conversations, expressing unpleasant feelings, making requests, disagreeing with another's opinion without arguing, and asking someone out on
a date. This class curriculum has been shown to increase social skills and effectiveness in a variety of social situations.
Recovery Action Plan Class
In this group the Veteran will create a Recovery Action Plan which will include refining personal recovery goals using the stages of recovery,
learning personal triggers and gaining skills of personal responsibility leading to self empowerment.
Therapeutic Movement and Relaxation Class
This class provides information and research-based activities to facilitate
emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Key components include:
· Guided Imagery & Mindfulness Practices
· Stress Management & Progressive Relaxation
· Qigong (an ancient Chinese art of self-healing)
· Gentle Movement Practices
Therapeutic Arts Class
This class includes meaningful hands-on activities that are personalized
to help Veterans:
· Gain greater self-awareness
& self-esteem
· Assist with moving through feelings
· Learn new skills of self expression
· Experience the joy of creativity
Veterans will experience the satisfaction that comes with the creative
process while working with a variety of artistic media such as paint, collage, crafts, jewelry making, etc. No experience
or special skills necessary.
Crafts to Heal Class
This group provides an opportunity to give through craft making. Arts and crafts created in this group will be donated to various altruistic causes and charitable organizations
in an effort to demonstrate compassion and kindness to others. Over time, veterans will be encouraged to take greater responsibility
for leadership roles within the group.
Recovery Cinema
This class provides education and insight by viewing selected movies depicting
mental illness and recovery related issues followed by interactive group discussion and sharing.
Computer Skills Training
This class is designed to promote community integration through use of the computer. Multiple
purposes for using the computer will be emphasized, depending on the Veteran's needs and goals, such as increasing access
to information, therapeutic outlets, recreation, and developing potential work skills. In addition, this class will promote
concentration, coordination, and logical thought processes through understanding and manipulating a computer. No prior knowledge
is required but Veterans must be willing to practice learned skills outside of lessons.
Coping Through the Senses
This class is designed to provide educational tools and skills instruction in alternative methods
of coping with stress and negative experiences, empowering and motivating attendees to take a more active role in working
a program of recovery, and taking control of their health and physical and emotional well-being.
Discussion and sensorimotor games and activities are a regular part of the class. General goals
of the class are as follows: develop emotional regulation skills; learn positive coping skills to deal with stressful situations,
relieve anxiety, manage anger, decrease tension, and avoid self-harm; learn to identify and modify emotional feelings; develop
a stress management plan; learn grounding techniques to help with dissociation and flashbacks; and identify supports and plan
for health management.
Living Skills
This class is designed to provide educational tools and skills instruction to support participants
to increase engagement in community living, increase community integration, and be functionally independent. The goal of this
class is to promote empowerment, sense of well-being and competence, communication, trust, and cognitive and leisure skill
development. Topics include food and nutrition management, money management, community involvement and lot more!
Related Services
The PRRC works closely with the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),
which offers NAMI Connection (A peer support group to provide a safe space for people to confront the challenges
common to people living with mental illness and support each other on the path to recovery).
 
There are several options available to address family issues:
Operation Enduring Families targets OEF/OIF Veterans and their families.
The SAFE program is an 18 session Support and Family
Education program. Families are welcome to attend one or as many sessions as they would like of either group and topics for
a given week are available upon request.
There is a 12 week NAMI Family-to-Family course where
families teach other Families about mental illness and coping skills for dealing with someone with a serious mental illness.
These classes begin in September and February of each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many classes can I take?
Classes are held every day of the week except Wednesday and are designed to accommodate a variety
of schedules. Some students may want to take a class every day whereas others may take one class at a time. There is no requirement
regarding how many or which classes you take.
How do I get into the program?
If you are a veteran and interested in this program, please ask your mental health provider at
the Dorn VA for a referral.
What happens when I’ve taken all the classes
I want to take?
Since one of the main goals of this program is community integration, we will work with you to
find those activities in the community that you desire (i.e., going to school, volunteer work, etc.). Ideally, participants
will decide when they have reached their recovery goals and are at a point of transition or discharge but since each person’s
recovery is an individual journey, it will vary. There will be recognitions for accomplishments of recovery goals throughout
the program and recognition for integration into the community.
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