Warrior Healing Center

WHC utilizes a cadre of veteran and veteran family member CMs to triage and assist with veteran problems. WHC utilizes RONA to inform veterans of local opportunities and to discover emerging problems. In 2022 so far, WHC has had over 7,000 unique individual visitors, fulfilled over 500 requests for assistance from veterans in crisis, including 58 veterans who self-reported as “a danger to themselves or others”. None of those veterans attempted suicide in 2022. That is exactly what we look to continue into the future: veterans who experience life crises in Cochise County have a place to go where skilled and qualified veterans and veteran family members can serve as a psychological First-Aid Station for them. Once crises have been mitigated, WHC will coordinate follow-on care and continue to follow in perpetuity. WHC currently has over 1700 veterans in our follow-up database.

WHC’s innovative work with Johns Hopkins University’s psychology faculty provided an evidence-based assistance model called “RAPID” (Reflective Listening, Assessment, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition), which is a form of psychological first aid (PFA) that enables effective crisis intervention at any stage. WHC CMs apply PFA RAPID to assist local veterans in crisis. In our experience, the local VA CBOC or VASH often are incapable of immediate crisis intervention for vets with urgent needs—and vets are not ready to receive other VA therapies or modalities until their crises are resolved. WHC fills these gaps in all transitions of life (military to civilian, marriage, divorce, illness, job loss, personal loss, etc.). WHC CMs address integrators of veteran well-being such as housing, employment, family support, benefits, financial assistance, mental health, physical health, addiction recovery, service animals, food assistance, camaraderie, legal assistance, and spirituality, along with reduction of the stigmas and barriers associated with asking for help.

WHC integrates with all aspects of VA capabilities including VHA, VASH, C&P benefits, and death benefits. WHC is focused on connecting vets and their families to VA and community resources across a spectrum of needs in life, from extreme crisis to routine needs, and is designed to be responsive to the needs of vets within the community. WHC provides three distinct PTSD support groups, art classes, music classes, barbecues, monthly social events, Qi-Gong classes, caregiver support, and equestrian services via our community partners. WHC also works with large community groups to field events such as the Freedom Fest summer concert (Don McLean and Gatlin Bros.), “Glow Ride” community auto shows, regular cycling and hiking events, and a Veterans Day 5k fun run. In this way, WHC is established as a critical community hub for veteran families.

WHC specializes in helping veterans who have given up on the VA. VA research found that “for many Veterans, private providers and non-profits that offer confidential, bureaucracy-free access to timely care feel like positive and desirable alternatives to VA processes.” A Rand study raised concerns about the quality of mental health care, suicide prevention and other social disorders veterans faced upon leaving the military. According to Rand, “outreach is absolutely essential. Community-based projects that integrate services and provide comprehensive resources may be far more beneficial than the existing array of services provided by the VA.”

According to Col. Carl Castro, Director of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program, from the time a soldier enters the military they are taught to "fix it yourself, don't look for someone else to fix it for you.” Veterans also struggle with loss of purpose or mission, while feeling that VA employees seeing to their needs do not consider the veteran’s needs as a serious mission. This mismatch can easily trigger a veteran to depression or anger. Additionally, research suggests that many veterans find the VA system too difficult to navigate, frequently waiting weeks or even months for treatment. According to Castro, “a veteran with severe PTSD may need help at 9:00pm on a Friday night, not 9:00am on Monday morning when the VA clinic opens.” Castro concludes that many veterans with combat-related mental issues prefer to seek help from friends, family, clergy and community-based organizations that specialize in volunteer support such as veterans helping veterans.

The reality is that while VA does provide significant assistance to veterans for many things, when in crisis, vets' expectations are often unrealistic. WHC finds that many vets expect the VA to respond in military fashion. They perceive they are taking the proper action by going to the VA. After all, the VA is supposed to immediately "fix me!"—that’s the VA’s mission, right? But there is a subtle yet vital distinction between “care” for the vet and “fixing” the vet—the VA does care for vets, but no one can “fix vets”—except veterans themselves. The resulting disappointment contributes to the spiraling crisis ideation and a loss of hope. VA is incapable of meeting veterans' resultant emotional needs—yes, it is about feelings. The solutions are very simple: People, Process, Technology, in that order. Suicide prevention is putting PEOPLE first. Care for vets’ feelings matters just as much as anything else, sometimes more. Logic, reason, process, services delivery are all important efforts, but you can get all of those wrong and if the vet feels the right way, you still succeed at suicide prevention. Conversely, you can get them all right, yet have the vet feel the wrong way, and you ultimately fail. The PEOPLE part requires authenticity—this is not something that can be mass-produced—and it can never be corporate. It requires humanity, community and caring. But this doesn't mean kissing up to vets or playing to their emotions—sometimes it requires tough, hard-nosed love. Vets thrive on authentic human relationships that genuinely meet their needs both physically and emotionally.

WHC plays a vital role as VA’s partner by serving as intermediary—helping both the veteran and VA reconcile this equation where the VA understandably is not equipped to provide everything the vet needs. WHC CMs can immediately treat the veteran as a PERSON, employing PFA RAPID techniques providing an immediate feeling of being seen, heard and validated.

WHC's effects have been recognized as "Best Veterans Organization" in the community for 3 consecutive years. Senior VA leaders have acknowledged WHC's contribution to the mission in the local area. The Team at WHC stands ready to assist our community's veterans and to develop whatever capabilities are necessary--to FIGHT for them!