- Our Vision -
Veterans face a number of challenges upon completing their time in service. Lack of community, loss of a sense of identity after leaving the military, and self-destructive behavior plague the veteran community. Many veterans struggle daily with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual injuries. Arguably the most pervasive issue for veterans returning from combat zones is living every day with a variety of mental health conditions including post traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. In the worst cases, these mental health conditions prove to be fatal. These “invisible” injuries have induced more casualties in the recent decades than all American combat operations in the Global War on Terror, with suicide alone claiming the lives of approximately 22 veterans daily.
An increasing focus into the impact of nature oriented programs as therapy for veterans has brought forward a number of studies showing that nature therapy is an effective modality to help provide relief from many of these common mental health conditions faced by veterans. The evidence is so strong that the Department of Veterans Affairs is soon likely to begin prescribing nature immersion and outdoor programs as therapy for veteran patients suffering from mental health ailments.
A large contributor in the difficulties facing veterans can be attributed to the loss of the tight-knit community they once had access to while serving. This lack of having a “tribe” they feel comfortable around is a major factor in the behaviors of self-isolation, depression, and anxiety that plague many veterans after transitioning out of the military.
To counter these issues, Veteran Outdoor Alliance provides the veteran community with resources to engage with various outdoor programs including extended expeditions, weekend adventures, wilderness and outdoor skills training, and nature therapy programs. We host a searchable database that includes a variety of programs that are available to veterans for accessing the outdoors. Veteran Outdoor Alliance also is creating local VOA chapters to build local veteran outdoor communities that will serve to help veterans reconnect with their tribe and to engage in restorative and adventurous outdoor excursions together.
We continually seek to learn and grow as a community and to provide the best outdoor resources and programs available to our veteran family.