Headstrong Project Partners with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to Expand Mental Health Services for Veterans, Families
Headstrong Project, Inc., a national-facing mental health treatment practice providing veterans with barrier-free mental health care, received a $1 million grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to expand upon its mental health treatment offerings.
Amidst ongoing efforts to increase access to care for the nation’s veteran families, the funding will help Headstrong expand its number of clinical providers and increase capacity in new and existing markets. Currently, Headstrong operates in 27 cities across the United States and provides cost-free, bureaucracy-free, stigma-free mental health treatment to post-9/11 veterans and their families.
“I know first-hand what it’s like to live with PTSD. To veterans who feel isolated and alone in their struggle, my message is simple. You are not alone. There is hope for better days,” said Bob Parsons, Marine Corps Vietnam Combat Veteran and Founder & CEO of PXG. “There are several programs out there that can help. Honey Lake Christian Clinic is a treatment program for depression and they have a PTSD program specifically for veterans as well. There are also CBT therapy classes that are offered by workplaces and universities, but there’s definitely more that can be done. Headstrong is working to that goal,destigmatizing mental health care and providing a new and better avenue for effective, confidential treatment.”
Working in partnership with Weill Cornell Medical College, one of the nation’s leading mental health care centers, Headstrong developed a first of its kind program tailored to each individual’s needs. The customized treatments address issues like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), addiction, anxiety and depression, trauma, grief, and anger management.
“At Headstrong, we are dedicated to healing the hidden wounds of war by working with skilled practitioners in, or near, the communities where these veterans live; it’s about meeting them where they are,” said Headstrong Executive Director Colonel (USA, Ret.) Jim McDonough. “Because of the generous support from people like Bob and Renee Parsons, we are more capable than ever of delivering highly individualized, private care to even more veterans when and where they need it most.”
Headstrong has a particular focus on helping those who are underserved, including veterans whose economic security has been jeopardized due to COVID-19 and who reflect diverse ethnicities and sexual identities, may be justice-involved, and are coping with the consequences of military sexual trauma or housing instability. Unlike the VA, Headstrong serves all post-9/11 veterans, regardless of discharge status or potential substance abuse issues. The nonprofit utilizes partnerships with aligned Veteran Service Organizations to offer care, free of charge.
“We are proud to partner with an organization so dedicated to helping veterans and their families get access to mental health treatment,” said President & Executive Creative Director of PXG Apparel Renee Parsons. “Whether it be cost, long wait lists, transportation limitations, or the social stigma surrounding mental health care, Headstrong is removing roadblocks that stop veterans from getting the help they deserve.”
