This week on “Next Steps Forward,” host Chris Meek speaks with Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo, director of medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, about BraveMind, the virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy program Rizzo created to successfully treat post-traumatic stress (PTS) in veterans. Aside from discussing that groundbreaking technology and treatment in-depth, Rizzo will also touch on how other revolutionary medical technology advancements are paving the way we address mental health. Joining the conversation is Chris Merkle, a 14-year U.S. Marine combat veteran who has directly benefited from the BraveMind technology during his own experiences with PTS. Merkle will also introduce ways that we can all work to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and speak on the feelings of empowerment that volunteering in his own community has afforded him. @SkipRizzoVR
Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo Bio:
Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo is the director of medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies. He serves as a research professor at the USC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. Rizzo’s research focuses on the development and use of virtual reality (VR) systems to assess and treat post-traumatic stress (PTS). He created the BraveMind VR exposure therapy program used to treat PTS in veterans. The BraveMind program creates “worlds” of combat scenarios, which place veterans back within their memories of combat to work through their post-traumatic stress. The BraveMind technology has been donated to 24 VA hospitals and medical facilities across the country through the nonprofit SoldierStrong’s StrongMind program. For his work, Rizzo received the American Psychological Association’s 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Treatment of Trauma.
