Veterans Unstoppable

Veterans Unstoppable: War to Peace Transition

Veterans Unstoppable is our confidential, no-cost program and service to warriors and their loved ones facing post-traumatic stress injury and other invisible wounds of military service. This program currently has three sub-programs; peer support groups, retreats, recreational therapy, and service dogs.

ABOUT OUR UNIQUE PROGRAM

Veterans Unstoppable is an individually tailored 5 step life skills development program that fosters healthy life adjustments for Veterans. This addresses differences in each Veterans’ experiences – we recognize there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution to Veteran reintegration. Veterans Unstoppable guides Veterans through the transition process in a supportive and safe environment free from distractions.

5 Step Program:

Phase 1: Managing exposures and their effects
Phase 2: Reducing Social Conflict
Phase 3: Finding Closure to reduce stress and anxiety
Phase 4: Finding Purpose and direction in life by making a plan
Phase 5: Recreational Therapy through Fly Fishing

Retreat Program

STATISTICS

Emotional wounds or PTS injuries can interfere with a Veteran’s ability to navigate relationships. Since 9-11-01 we have lost more active duty service members to suicide than to combat.

1 in 5 Veterans return with some degree of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS)
Recent studies reveal that an average of 22 Veterans commit suicide each day
Divorce and homeless rates are double civilian rates

We have never lost a Veterans Unstoppable program participant or graduate in the war at home

To enroll in a retreat, or join a peer group please contact (570) 369-3797 or email mbaylis@valorclinic.org

We are currently looking to train peer facilitators to open new peer groups.

Peer to Peer

Phase One - Peer Group Support

This is a Veteran support group moderated by Veterans Unstoppable trained group facilitators who guide discussions and discovery. This phase focuses on helping these men and women become aware of family patterns and life events that shaped their current view of the world.

We believe these events and patterns are aggravated by traumatic events. The result is a cloud that obstructs the Veteran’s view of life. When tested, this clouded judgment can lead to anger management shortfalls, substance abuse, and lack of personal warmth.

This breakdown in personal skills is the first domino to fall in a series of events causing the alarming statistics.

Phase Two - Peer Retreat Counseling

There is a huge gap in normal between our Veterans and civilians. We take people who may have worked 22 hours days, carrying 70 pounds on their backs in 100-degree heat, while people did their best to try to kill them and the people they care about without complaining, and we immerse them back into a society where people get upset if the boss wants them to stay an extra 15 minutes to complete something.

It is social oil and water.

This kind of social readjustment is paramount.

This phase of the Veterans Unstoppable program is for the moderately and severely affected Veterans. It consists of a blend of education and life projects spread over several months. The program, conducted in a retreat setting with professional counseling staff, begins with a discovery of each individual’s past and ends with an empowering self-made plan for their future. This is a series of six retreats.

Phase 3 - Life Skill Application

For some Veterans, it will take some time to practice their skills before returning to “normal life.”

Our Phase 3 is intended to immerse a Veteran in life situations to practice these new skills, without fear of failure.

The goal is to gradually increase human interaction as the Veterans progress until they are able and ready to advance to the workforce.

This transition will provide the best opportunity for the most severely war-affected Veterans to succeed and have a healthy readjustment to civilian life.

In order to successfully integrate this phase of the program, we need a facility where Veterans have the opportunity to interface with people in a working environment.

Currently, Paul’s House (and soon Kevin’s House) serves this need. It creates diverse job opportunities with varying degrees of human interaction overseen by staff familiar with the Veterans Unstoppable program.

The skills required to perform here are ideally suited to the community needs of the tourism-based economy of the local area.

Phase 4 - Finding Closure

Traumatic events in war stay with Veterans. Finding closure can relieve some of the burdens of these tragic events.

We help Veterans make a plan to find some closure.

The weekly peer-to-peer support sessions pave the road to a brighter future through our Veterans Unstoppable program.

NO Convicted Felons
NO Dishonorable or “In Lieu of Court Martial” Discharges
NO Active Addiction

Phase 5 - Recreational Therapy through Fly Fishing

Veterans and First Responders

Who We Help

We help those who served our country in uniform from all five services, including the Reserves and National Guard.

We welcome hometown heroes into our Veterans Unstoppable program. Our first responders deal with very similar challenges faced by our Veterans.

Our Law Enforcement heroes, in particular, deal with suicide at alarming rates as well.

We do NOT help Veterans with dishonorable or “in lieu of court marshal” discharges.

Veterans Unstoppable