Renew Support vs Beyond MST

Renew Support is a companion app to Renew, which is a self-guided program to help people recover from posttraumatic stress. Renew helps people who have experienced trauma practice evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy skills that can reduce the symptoms of posttraumatic stress and help people get back to living a full life. In Renew, points are earned for completing activities designed to decrease avoidance of safe situations, process trauma memories, and boost positive moods. Recovering from trauma can be challenging, and research has shown that having support from trusted family or friends can help with recovery. If someone you care about has sent you an invitation to download Renew support, they have added you to their Renew Support team. This means that they are counting on you to help support them as they work through the Renew program. Renew Support makes it easy to show your support and encouragement. You’ll receive notifications about the points that are earned in Renew as the person you care about works on their recovery. You’ll also be notified if the person using Renew hasn’t logged into the program in a while. You can reply to Renew notifications to send your congratulations, tell them to keep up the good work, or even give them the little nudge they need through Renew Support’s messaging function. Renew Support also includes information about trauma reactions and helpful tips based on the latest research in trauma and posttraumatic stress to help you better understand how to best help your loved one.

Beyond MST is a free, secure, trauma-sensitive mobile app that was created specifically to support the health and well-being of survivors of sexual assault or harassment during military service, also called military sexual trauma (MST). The app has over 30 specialized tools and other features to help those who use it cope with challenges, manage symptoms, improve their quality of life and find hope. You can also take brief assessments in the app, set self-care goals, track recovery progress, and learn more about MST and common concerns. You can use the app on your own or as a companion to formal treatment, and it may be helpful to survivors of other types of unwanted sexual experiences, too. The app keeps your information private; no account is needed, and any personal information entered in the app is not shared with anyone, including the VA. You can set a PIN lock for extra privacy. You are not alone: the Beyond MST app can help. Beyond MST was made by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Mobile Mental Health team at the National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division in collaboration with the National Center for PTSD, Women’s Health Sciences Division and the national VA MST Support Team.