Help strengthen families of returning service members and veterans https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2010/help-strengthen-families-of-returning-service-members-and-veterans https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Help strengthen families of returning service members and veterans

Additional Information
Used for	Network with local veterans organizations and then hold 5-day retreat to help veterans and their families recognize their mental and emotional health needs, find ways to address these needs and provide access to continuing mental health services after the retreat.
Benefits	Unable to access mental health care, veterans and their families experience growing incidents of drug and alcohol abuse, family violence, homelessness, crime and suicide. By focusing on education and early intervention, our services contribute to the prevention of chronic, disabling combat- or post- traumatic stress, isolation, family dysfunction, homelessness and other related problems.
Proposal Description	The Coming Home Project provides free residential retreats, psychological counseling, education and support groups for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, active duty, reserve and National Guard at all stages of deployment as well as their family members, children and significant others. We ask that the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation help support our 5-day retreat for veterans and families in San Antonio, Texas. This retreat will serve 80-100 adults and children. Your funds will help all aspects of engaging the local military community, holding the retreat and providing follow-up. Retreats harness the power of peer support, creating a sense of community that helps reduce the isolation, shame and stigma that often come with war-related stress. Understanding that trauma unravels connections, our retreats help participants reconnect with themselves, their family and community, offering them the opportunity to share their stories and experiences with their comrades. Activities include resilience training, creative expression through writing and drawing, and outdoor recreation. Our retreats are not psychotherapy but are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals, assisted by chaplains, veterans and family members who know first-hand the realities and impacts of war. We gauge our ability to create sustained, positive change for our retreat participants through evaluation measures that are administered both prior to and one-month following the retreat. Among many other goals, three measures are: increased access to mental health and other reintegration services; increased empowerment; increased social connections.