Drug and Alcohol Policy Many women who are trying to cope with the after-effects of war turn to alcohol or drugs to ease their symptoms. While this is very common, it is important that you first address any addiction issues before going further in the recovery process. Alcohol, recreational drugs, or abuse of prescription medication will not be allowed during the retreat. If you are currently working with these issues, please discuss it with your counselor to make sure that the retreat is appropriate for you at this point in time. If you and your counselor decide that you are ready for the retreat, please develop a plan for abstinence for at least a month before, during, and after the retreat.         Smoking            All of the facilities that we use are non-smoking environments. We strongly suggest that if you are a smoker, you taper off in the weeks leading up to the retreat. If this does not work for you, at each facility you may be able to walk off of the property to smoke, but this is usually not very convenient. We’ll send more details about the smoking policies at each retreat center in your acceptance packet.             How to Apply         Retreats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so we suggest sending your application in as soon as possible. Final deadlines for retreats are as follows: March retreat- February 10, 2012 August retreat- July 13, 2012 September retreat- August 10, 2012 Fill out the registration form, medical form, assumption of risk form, and transportation plan in the Application packet. Return this to your nearest Vet Center counselor. If you have questions about the enrollment process you may contact Lori Mathews, Enrollment Coordinator at TWWI, at lori@womenswilderness.org . If you have questions about the retreat itself, you may contact Laura Tyson, Director of Veterans Programs, at laura@womenswilderness.org .  Feedback from Participants 2011 Women Veterans Retreats               “Just to see so many other women just like me was just amazing, and so burden-relieving.”                     “I am not alone, and people do care about what I do and are interested in my life. The diverse group helped me to come out of my shell.”                    “I have learned to breathe and relax for the first time in my life. I now know different ways to calm down, focus and center myself, and know that its okay to work on me. The BASE-R concept that was taught was AMAZING and will be used all the time.”                 “I have learned to trust; I have felt an unconditional acceptance and engagement with fellow vets that I have not had, especially in the military.”  “This was the best I have seen in group interactive learning.”

What Every Veteran Should Carry                         No longer will you have to carry around your DD Form 214 as proof of your military service.  The Veteran ID Card will quickly establish you as a veteran, along with other essential benefits.  More... Veteran ID Card

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