There are many “heroes” in our country. Heal the Hero Foundation has primarily focused on support for military, veterans, law enforcement professionals, firefighters, and other dedicated public servants. Our heroes come from all backgrounds and face the challenges of daily exposure to traumatic, stressful or life-threatening events. While strength and bravery are celebrated on the frontlines, their selfless acts of service can also mean that personal mental health and wellbeing come second. At Heal the Hero Foundation, we know that prioritizing mental health and stress resilience can actually increase job performance, improve stress resilience, reduce anxiety and depression, and lead to healthier communities.

Stress Resilience for First Responders

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, police departments and other first responders across the country have endured heightened tensions, increased pressure and scrutiny, and heated debates over their roles and conduct. This challenging environment has compounded job-related stress and affected hiring and recruiting efforts as more officers resort to early retirements – putting community safety at risk.

Heal the Hero provides funding for programs that have been shown to lower trauma, anxiety, and depression while increasing resilience, performance, and quality of life for all participants. Through our support, first responders gain access to evidence-based tools that help them manage stress and maintain emotional well-being in the line of duty.

 

Increased Mental Resilience & Performance for Veterans and Active Military

Our soldiers today have been fighting wars unlike any others, with a largely invisible enemy and facing injuries or casualties from unseen threats like IEDs or suicide bombers. Some return home limited by severe physical and mental injuries. Many find adjusting to civilian life extremely challenging due to depression, loss of purpose, or other crises related to their deployment. And sadly, as a nation, we’ve seen suicide rates skyrocket among our veterans.

Heal the Hero funds and facilitates access to programs currently being used by the U.S. Air Force and its Wounded Warrior Unit to ease PTSD symptoms and increase resilience to stress. These programs can also be offered remotely to reach veterans and first responders in rural America – or wherever they are deployed.