According to the Women Veterans Task Force of the Department of Veterans Affairs, women make up the fastest growing group of veterans - more than 10% of the total U.S. Veteran population in 2015. Women also now take part in active combat. As a result, they suffer injuries similar to those experienced by male soldiers. But these women veterans have very different needs with higher service-connected disabilities than males. They also have higher incidences Military Sexual Trauma (MST). One in five female vets who use the VA for health care is identified as suffering from MST as a result of rape, harassment, or assault. This can lead to additional problems, such as depression, substance abuse, and PTSD. Women vets suffering from MST are four times more likely to have PTSD and six times more likely to have multiple mental

A key component of working with veterans and service members affected by service-related trauma is combating debilitating effects of physical and emotional isolation, self-judgment, survivor guilt, and “shutting down.” In an adventurous context within a secluded natural environment, Melwood Veterans Services’ (MVS) Operation Tohidu® (Tohidu) retreat program reconnects warriors with their inherent strength of character – and with one another, to reframe their past experience and move forward with positivity. Tohidu’s® motto is “Peace with the Past, through Power in the Present.” Experienced facilitators (combat veterans and trauma survivors), licensed social workers, and support staff use adventurous activities and group discussion to expose issues that often affect participants for decades. Working with peers, building camaraderie, and context through shared experience, Tohidu® participants confront recurring behaviors and self-destructive thought-processes, and learn holistic techniques to manage symptoms of service-related trauma and facilitate

Intentional communities are planned residential communities designed from the ground up to address a specific social challenge and foster a high degree of cohesion among residents. Similar to co-housing models that are peer based or inter-generational, intentional communities are organized around health and wellness, an economic benefit, or a collective purpose. Bastion is America’s first intentional community created to address the physical, emotional, and social challenges faced by veteran families with life-long rehabilitative needs. The purpose of the community is: (a) to incorporate a development strategy that not only creates affordable housing and community-based supports for a defined number of households who need it the most, but also (b) to leverage a collective impact approach by providing resources to help more families in the metro New Orleans area. Many veteran families in our target population have a unique vulnerability to

Veterans Alternative understands that there is not a “one size fits all” when it comes to addressing mental health for our Combat Veterans. For this reason, our mission is to improve the quality of life of our Nations Warriors. One of our Accelerated Wellness Program participants, Stef, wished to share this about our program: “Since attending the Veterans Alternative program, I feel like I have regained control over my future. I can now look at situations in a positive light, even under the most stressful circumstances. I have finally been able to accept everything for what it is and live my life optimistically. Veterans Alternative taught me mindfulness activities that allow me to stay in the present and not let my reoccurring traumatic memories control me”. Veterans Alternative recognizes the need to meet our participants where they are and uses