National Center for healthy veterans

National Center for healthy veterans

Returning Healthy Veterans to America

Returning Healthy Veterans to America

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Special Event

The National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) facility in Altavista is fundamentally reshaping veterans care in America, mobilizing the full capabilities of America’s private sector.  America’s Veterans are an Untapped National Treasure! The purpose of the NCHV is to “Return Healthy Veterans to America.” NCHV is comprised of the following: a natural healing environment, dignified work in a farm and ranch setting, community living to defeat isolation, faith-based trauma recovery life skills training and vocational/technical training to achieve maximum employment potential, job placement, and economic opportunity. All of this is aimed at helping NCHV “Patriots” achieve their full, God-given potential and contribute to American society in every possible way.

**For nearby accommodation information or general questions, please contact Patty Renaux at 757-707-5588.

Williamsburg Veterans Appreciation Dinner

Come meet with like-minded patriots to learn more about how the National Center for Healthy Veterans “Returns Healthy Veterans to America”.

Date and Time

Thursday, November 30 · 6pm EST

This special dinner reception will serve as a “friend-raiser” for the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV)! Join the NCHV as we explain our mission, vision, and exciting updates and learn how you can partner with us!

Corporate Sponsorships are Available Upon Request

Location

Ford’s Colony Country Club
240 Fords Colony Drive Williamsburg, VA 23188

Who We Are

National Center for Healthy Veterans

Our veterans have pledged their lives for our freedom, security, and prosperity. Healthy veterans are productive members of society, good employees, and positive role models, but not all of our veterans are healthy.

Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the United States Armed Forces have deployed more than 2.77 million service members to operations around the globe.

More than a third of deployed service members experienced multiple deployments, with over 400,000 deploying more than three times and over 37,000 more than five times.

Some 5,448 were killed in action, 53,283 physically wounded, and several times that number suffered the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and the spiritual and psychic trauma of combat.

While most Veterans successfully transition back to civilian life – either on their own, or with some support – many do not.

The National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm is devoted to helping Veterans navigate the challenges of trauma and transition to achieve their full potential and contribute to every facet of American society.

At NCHV we take a faith-based, holistic approach to “Returning Healthy Veterans to America” in the natural healing environment of Valor Farm near Altavista, Virginia. Our Patriots – as we call the Veterans who participate in our programs – live and perform dignified work in community while participating in resilience, trauma recovery, and career preparation programs. We employ a variety of experiential and technology-based programs that support the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and relational healing for America’s veterans and their families.  

Who We Serve

Veterans At Risk

The National Center for Healthy Veterans serves at-risk veterans, who we call Patriots, who are willing to invest a year at Valor Farm for a “reset and restart.” We expect them to commit to change, be willing to work toward re-optimizing their daily performance, and to restore family and other relationships. Our Veterans must be able to live, learn, work, and train in a rural farm environment. 

How Injuries interfere with a return to normal life:

Post–Traumatic Stress

Between 15% and 19% of returning Veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress (PTS).

Traumatic Brain Injury

Nearly 20% of those suffering depression or PTS experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Moral Injury

Injury stemming from a Veteran’s own or observed actions in combat.

Tragic Outcomes

These physical, psychic and traumatic injuries, along with moral injury that can stem from a Veteran’s own or observed actions in combat, interfere with a return to normal life and lead to tragic outcomes. The toll borne by many service members, and its lingering effects in broken marriages, broken families, and broken lives is directly related to the staggering number of Veteran suicides – a problem that persists despite federal funding, federal policy initiatives and the establishment of numerous preventive measures.

Suicide
  • More than 17 veterans kill themselves every day, and 344 active-duty members took their lives in 2019, the highest since tracking began.
Mental Illness
  • More than 1.7 million Veterans receive treatment in a VA mental health specialty program in fiscal year 2018.
Homelessness
  • Over 33,475 veterans are homeless on any given night in 2022.
Divorce
  • Families of combat veterans experience an 80% divorce rate.
Addiction
  • More than 20% of veterans with PTSD also have a drug or alcohol addiction.

Over the last 10 years, more than 73,000 Veterans have taken their own lives; enough Veterans to fill the New Orleans Superdome – more than all the combat and non-combat deaths incurred by the US Armed Forces from the beginning of the Vietnam War to the present. This tragic number increases by roughly 22 Veterans every day. 

How We Serve

Life at Valor Farm

The nine month NCHV residential program is a golden opportunity to “get unstuck,” to move past trauma and transition challenges into a lifetime of personal and professional contribution and success.  After orientation and assessment, Valor Farm “Patriots” move through three 12 week “trimesters” which sequentially focus on resilience, trauma recovery, and career preparation. Concurrently Patriots take electives based on personal needs and interests — equine therapy, financial literacy, family relationships, topical Bible studies, nutrition, sleep management, pain management, and many others. 

Assisted by mentors, each NCHV Patriot constructs a Personal Development Plan which tracks individual goals and progress.  The desired outcomes from community living, dignified work, technical training, and overall wellness culture include successful professional transition, healthy work-life balance, wholesome family relationships, expanded inner resources including a relevant faith, positive contribution to society, and service as a mentor to others. 

During their time at Valor Farm, Patriots live in individual tiny homes within a Patriot Community Village.  Each village consists of 20 tiny homes and a Village Community Center where Patriots cook and share meals, enjoy fitness and recreational activities, participate in classes and special events, and grow stronger together.

How We Serve

Life at Valor Farm

The nine month residential program is a golden opportunity to “get unstuck,” to move past trauma and transition challenges into a lifetime of personal and professional contribution and success.  After orientation and assessment, Valor Farm “Patriots” move through three 12 week “trimesters” which sequentially focus on resilience, trauma recovery, and career preparation. Concurrently Patriots take electives based on personal needs and interests — equine therapy, financial literacy, family relationships, topical Bible studies, nutrition, sleep management, pain management, and many others. 

Assisted by mentors, each Patriot constructs a Personal Development Plan which tracks individual goals and progress.  The desired outcomes from community living, dignified work, technical training, and overall wellness culture include successful professional transition, healthy work-life balance, wholesome family relationships, expanded inner resources including a relevant faith, positive contribution to society, and service as a mentor to others. 

During their time at Valor Farm, Patriots live in individual tiny homes within a Patriot Community Village.  Each village consists of 20 tiny homes and a Village Community Center where Patriots cook and share meals, enjoy fitness and recreational activities, participate in classes and special events, and grow stronger together. 

Get
Help

I'm a Veteran that needs help

Give
Help

Refer a Veteran for help

Get
Informed

Learn About NCHV

GET
INSPIRED

Patriot life stories

GET
INVOLVED

Volunteer and Support NCHV

Get
Help

I'm a Veteran that needs help

Give
Help

Refer a Veteran for help

Get
Informed

Learn About NCHV

GET
INSPIRED

Patriot life stories

GET
INVOLVED

Volunteer and Support NCHV

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In the last stage of the program Patriots learn about post graduation support and how to maintain balance in their new environments. They also conduct an outbound assessment of the outcome of their PDP and receive assistance transitioning to new employment and living arrangements.

Key Activities or Objectives:

  • Outbound Assessments
  • Graduate Support Programs
  • Graduation

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NCHV partners with the best in industry and the best educators to help veterans develop the skills they need to transition successfully to civilian employment at ZERO cost to them.

Key Activities or Objectives:

  • Transition Preparation
  • Career Preparation

Supporting Text | Additional Text if needed.

A nationally renowned, faith-based trauma healing course designed to help veterans of all eras and their families recover from the spiritual and moral wounds of war.

Key Activities or Objectives:

  • Less Pain, Anger, Fatigue, Anxiety, and Depression.
  • More Forgiveness and Meaning
  • Better Social Participation and Connectedness
  • Quality of Life

“The hospital fixed my body, but REBOOT fixed my soul. REBOOT sought out and resued the man I once was.”

Trauma Healing For Everyone

This one-of-a-kind course teaches you how to build bounce, weather the storm, and bounce back without getting stuck. This course is widely used in church and academic settings to build personal resilience.

Key Activities or Objectives:

  • Preparing for the Storms of Life
  • Weathering the Storms
  • Bouncing Back
  • Navigating Adversity

“We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Resilience: Learning to Bounce

The Patriot onboarding period includes familiarization with the farm, its work, living, and recreational areas, an individual assessment, and the creation of the holistic Personal Development Plan.

Key Activities or Objectives:

  • Onboard & Familiarization
  • Inbound Assessments
  • Personal Development Plan

Returning Healthy Veterans to America