SoldierStrong Receives Disabled Veterans National Foundation Grant


STAMFORD, Conn., April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit committed to providing revolutionary medical technology to help military veterans take their next steps forward, has received a $12,000 grant from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation to provide a groundbreaking virtual reality system to aid in post-traumatic stress treatment.

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) provides support to disabled and at-risk veterans who return home with physical and psychological wounds. The organization carries out its mission by providing grants to veteran organizations, curated veteran-specific, post-traumatic stress (PTS) and suicide prevention resources, and providing supplemental assistance to homeless and low-income veterans.

“It is an immense honor to receive this grant by the DVNF, an exemplary leader in ensuring that our nation’s wounded veterans have the support and resources they need,” SoldierStrong co-founder and chairman Chris Meek said. “We’re gratified by DVNF’s commitment to offering this integral support as we seek to make the BraveMind system available in as many states and to as many veterans as possible. This grant is a recognition not only of our shared mission but an important step forward in providing our nation’s heroes with greater access to care.”

DVNF CEO Joseph VanFonda, a retired USMC sergeant major, said, “We're extremely pleased to partner with SoldierStrong, DVNF is very excited about the virtual reality system that is used to aid in the treatment of post-traumatic stress in our disabled and at-risk veterans. This platform assists veterans who are currently suffering from mental health challenges to have a more stable and productive life. We expect our grant to increase the number of disabled veterans who participate.”

The BraveMind system, developed by the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, delivers prolonged exposure therapy, the practice of recalling a troubling memory while talking through its nuances with a licensed therapist. This evidence-based method for treating PTS allows therapists to recreate the scene of the veteran’s troubling memory in a virtual reality headset. It safely enables the veteran to relive and deconstruct that memory to better cope with the trauma that it created. BraveMind’s technology allows therapists to select a scenario based on a veteran’s traumatic experience and customize it to their unique needs in real time.

SoldierStrong has donated more than $4.2 million of medical devices to help injured veterans, including 15 BraveMind systems to VA hospitals and other medical facilities since late 2019.

About the Disabled Veterans National Foundation
Disabled Veterans National Foundation provides critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded – both physically or psychologically. DVNF achieves this mission by offering direct financial support to veteran organizations that address veterans’ needs and whose missions align with DVNF’s; providing supplemental assistance to homeless and low-income veterans through the Health & Comfort program and various empowerment resources; and providing an online resources database that allows veterans to navigate the process of seeking benefits they are entitled to receive because of their military service.

About SoldierStrong
SoldierStrong helps American patriots take their next steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing the most innovative technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help returning service men and women move in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes towards support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life. Our organization works to remind veterans who have sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful. For more information, visit: https://www.soldierstrong.org/

DVNF Contact:
Communications Team
Datamize
ezplore@datamize.ai

SoldierStrong Contact:
Eric Woolson
(515) 681- 3967
ewoolson@theconceptworks.com