Help For Heroes receives Veteran Ready certification

Fifty-six providers at 8 facilities complete PsychArmor’s military culture training

SAN DIEGO, November 15, 2022 — PsychArmor and Help For HeroesTM, a national mental health treatment program offered by Springstone, have joined forces to create a more culturally competent workforce. Help For HeroesTM recently completed PsychArmor’s Veteran Ready training program which includes courses on military culture, suicide prevention, PTSD, and Veterans issues. 

“We value healthcare partners like Help For Heroes who are actively working to enhance healthcare competence through education and training. Cultural awareness training for providers assists in reducing or eliminating barriers to care,” said Dr. Tina Atherall, CEO of PsychArmor.  “By taking this step to offer enhanced training for its employees, Help for Heroes is demonstrating its commitment to offering a more genuine connection and better  support for those in the military community.”

Help For Heroes is a dedicated treatment program designed to serve the mental health and substance abuse needs of active duty and retired military personnel, Veterans, first responders, and other high-risk frontline professionals. With eight locations and a national intake hotline, they provide treatment and therapy specifically geared for people who routinely face trauma, physical and mental stress, and life-threatening situations.

Recognizing that the experiences of military personnel are much different from those of nonmilitary personnel, these programs structure their content to this population while also ensuring the provision of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.  According to a 2022 Rand report Recommended Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds, for care to be considered “high-quality” providers must have received training in military cultural competence. “Demonstrating that veteran-facing clinical staff has received training in military cultural competence is critical” (Rand 2022). 

“The Help for Heroes team is devoted to providing the best possible care to those who have served our nation. Understanding the unique needs of our Veterans is paramount to achieving better mental health outcomes,” said Umar Latif, MD, FAPA, National Medical Director of Springstone’s Help for Heroes program. “I’m very proud that our organization has achieved PsychArmor’s ‘Veteran Ready’ certification, which ensures our team has the appropriate skills to support our heroes when they are at their most vulnerable.”

As a nationally recognized nonprofit leader and preferred training provider for military cultural awareness, PsychArmor serves members of the military-connected community and anyone who wants to more effectively engage with them. Carefully guided by clinical psychologists, Veterans, military and leaders in the private and public sectors, PsychArmor offers learning journeys, from continuing education to customized training, including online courses, curricula, podcasts, webinars, live speaking engagements, and social media.

About Springstone

Springstone is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality behavioral healthcare services. Its inpatient and outpatient programs provide children and adults with treatment of mental illness and addiction, offering a broad scope of services for a diverse patient population. In addition to traditional therapies, Springstone takes a holistic approach to treatment, offering yoga, art, and recreational therapy. Its engaged and mission-driven team is dedicated to Changing People’s Lives® through a patient-centric approach to delivering superior outcomes. The company, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., operates 18 hospitals and 35 outpatient locations across nine states, with additional locations under development.  Its highly regarded Help for Heroes program is offered at eight of its locations and serves the mental health and substance abuse needs of active duty and retired military personnel, veterans, first responders, and other high-risk frontline professionals. For more information, please visit www.springstone.com.

About PsychArmor 

PsychArmor is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation providing education and support to individuals and organizations that work with, live with, and care for American service members, Veterans, and their families.  

For more information about PsychArmor, contact Carole Turner, Strategic Communications, PsychArmor, at cturner@psycharmor.org.

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