WHAT WE DO
The Warrior Healing Center's goal is to reduce the number of veteran suicides to zero. We are starting with Cochise County, but hold that goal for hte nation.
Major Initatives
The Warrior Healing Center serves three major purposes that support our goal of eliminating veteran suicide in Cochise County; Crisis intervention, Command and Control, and One-Stop-Shop. All three major activities come from a lack seen in the community, fill service gaps, and improve service access and quality.
Crisis Intervention
The WHC implements Psychological First Aid (PFA). Veterans who come to WHC complete an intake form that provides a quick snapshot of their immediate needs. They are then paired with our case manager, who creates a plan utilizing WHC and WHC partner resources to meet immediate and long-term needs that facilitate veteran success.
Command & Control
Before the WHC, the Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) with a presence in Cochise County operated as many individuals rather than building a strong network. WHC provides improved communication between VSOs and community providers by uniting the organizations under one roof, sharing a common operating database, and building a social network of services so veterans can easily find and access resources that meet their needs.
One-Stop Shop
With so many VSOs under one roof, we can send them down the hall instead of giving a list of disconnected phone numbers and email addresses that bounce back. On the way there, we can stop at the Computer Room to print off some forms, take a break in the Library, and grab a snack in the Rec room.
Areas of Effect
We believe in evidence-based interventions. While suicide is largely considered a mental health issue, mental health is only part of a complicated equation. Acute stressful life events, low socioeconomic status, hopelessness, and a history of abuse are all better predictors than mental health-related diagnoses in isolation. Therefore, we provide daily activities that address the larger underlying causes of suicide by avoiding or aiding in resolving stressful life events and improving socioeconomic status through direct aid and skills acquisition. Daily activities address one of more of these areas of effect.
1 / Camaraderie
We develop camaraderie through events; social cohesion improves resilience to stressful life events and reduces hopelessness.
2 / Financial Security
Most stressful events in adulthood are financial. We improve financial security with direct financial aid and education for long-term financial success.
3 / Food Security
We resolve food security by having frozen homemade Grab-and-Go meals available in our Rec Room freezer, maintaining the Warrior Pantry, which holds basic pantry needs and hosting community meals.
4 / Housing Security
WHC links veterans who have walked the path to local homeless camps as part of Operation Dust Off. ODO works with homeless veterans and link them with available resources.
5 / Technology & Skills
For better or worse, computer and internet access is required for many daily life activites and are often expensive or may be challening to maintain for other reasons. We offer free internet and provide access to printers and computers and assitance with using the technology.
6 / Mental Health
Mental health is a broad and complicated issue. WHC matches veterans with mental health organizations from the traditional methods of therapy and support groups provided by WHC partners to the spiritual, such as faith counseling, meditation, yoga, art, music, dance, and more.
Daily Activities
We have three kinds of daily activities here; First, rooms or services that are available for use or to be booked while the center is open; second, events held by the WHC or by WHC partners, and third, activities by our partners in the center.
Rooms
WHC maintains rooms with purpose. Here are some of the rooms and what they provide.
Community Rec Room
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Grab-and-go frozen meals
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Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and more
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Snacks, often baked goods
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Comfy couches
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Charging Center
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Anti-Gravity Massage Chair
Victory Healing Garden
We have five raised beds growing food for our community meals and providing a pleasant outdoor environment for all the building's visitors and inhabitants. We are currently working on building a shaded deck and water feature.
RONA Room
The Responsive Outreach Networking Alliance room is where volunteers gather to make buddy check calls with veterans who have received services here. Warrior Healing Pantry
Warrior Healing Pantry
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The Warrior Healing Pantry coordinates community meal events.
Meeting Rooms.
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Conference rooms are available for booking.
Computer Room.
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Desktop Computer with internet access
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Printing Lab
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Open to veterans for job searching and more
Military Library
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Books available for checkout
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Games, with weekly game events.
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Art supplies (pens, coloring books)
AV Studios
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Regular live-stream programming
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Veteran podcasting
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Open to veterans and veteran-oriented organizations
Events &
Live Streams
Events
The WHC holds events and provides space for partners to hold events. See the Events Calendar for up-to-date event information, but here are a few of the larger categories of events we host:
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Community meals for food and Camaraderie.
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Support Groups for female veterans, veterans with PTSD, Breast Cancer, and domestic violence, and more.
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Art & Music art therapy classes teaching painting and other artistic skills, Native American flute, and hand drum classes.
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Movement classes, such as belly and hula dance, Qi Gong, reiki, and other events. The VeloVets and Team RWB lead veteran-oriented active opportunities around the community. A body in motion stays in motion!
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Social. Other events such as barbeques, game nights, and more as coordinated by local veterans
Live Streams
WHC has a broadcasting studio from which veterans make podcasts and youtube videos. See our live stream archive on Youtube.
Partner Activities
E Pluribus Unum
Out of many, one. One of our major initiatives is uniting the VSOs in the area and creating a one-stop shop for veterans. We have over 50 VSOs and programs in residence at the WHC, with even more holding regular events. See our partners list for a deeper look at what the partners do, and for information on becoming a WHC partner.