Many organizations operate to serve and help heal the veteran.  Often overlooked is the family.  We are innovative in our model to serve, heal and support military families through therapeutic programming using evidenced based models and a professionally led team.  

Project Sanctuary treats the whole military family understanding that the veteran is not the only person experiencing service-related challenges. Spouses often have higher rates of depression, experience frequent job changes (if they are able to work) and can become caregivers if the service member experiences an injury – physical or invisible.  Military children change schools every two/three years, experience anxiety, and lack the consistency of having both parents around due to deployments. 

Since 2007, Project Sanctuary has partnered with retreat centers across the country to host therapeutic retreats for military families.  We dedicate our mission to serving at-risk military families who are living with the effects of their military service.  Of the servicemen and women Project Sanctuary has served over the past year, 79% self-reported an injury/medical condition and 72% self-reported PTSD and/or TBI.  A therapeutic environment is critical when providing services to veterans and their families, allowing for a safe space where healing and growth can occur. 

Project Sanctuary has experienced many challenges utilizing our current model, to include:  

• Year over year increasing prices of food and lodging, typically increasing every year at most locations.

• Lack of family style lodging versus bunk bed style lodging (Project Sanctuary is not able to utilize bunk bed style lodging for the families we serve).

• Seasonal availability of locations is especially difficult in the summer months as retreat centers operate their own programming. 

• Retreat centers scheduling of other groups simultaneously with Project Sanctuary, causing challenges to the therapeutic environment needed for our programs or availability of needed family lodges.

• Cleaning/disinfecting protocols created by partner site, versus managed by Project Sanctuary team ensuring the safety of families.

• Appropriate meeting space to have dedicated space for youth, teens, and adults to participate in their programs.

• Onsite recreation so we do not need to transfer families to various locations.

Of most significance to families is the lodging.  When participating in a therapeutic retreat, families are there to work on pieces of their lives that they are struggling with individually and as a family.   Many retreat centers’ lodging accommodations have characteristics of barracks, do not allow separate rooms for the parents away from children, or are in close proximity to other families.  Lodging is a critical element of a therapeutic retreat center.

Meeting space design and availability requirements can also make it difficult to find suitable retreat locations.  We need separate spaces for the youth (birth to age 12) that has restrooms close to ensure staff/volunteers are able to abide by the Project Sanctuary Child Protection Policy; space for teens (13+) that includes a comfortable set-up where conversations can take place; and additional space for adults where couches are available and an area where they can be comfortable during their carefully-crafted workshops.  Most retreat centers have rooms that are set up like classrooms or a dining area that needs to be converted to a space to meet and there is little privacy.

Colorado is home to six military bases and 8.4% of the adult population are veterans, making Colorado the 19th most popular state with veterans (https://www.thecentersquare.com). In the past two years, more than 200 participants call the great state of Colorado home. Project Sanctuary is proud of our commitment serving active-duty service members, veterans, and their families within Colorado.

Project Sanctuary is a 501 c(3) national nonprofit headquartered in Granby, Colorado. Founded in 2007 by Heather Ehle RN, based on the principle that when one person serves, the whole family serves, and the understanding the best way to support the troops was to create an organization supporting the entire family. Project Sanctuary is one of the few national organizations empowering the entire military family to achieve family sufficiency through an evidence-based approach providing counseling, education, referrals to best-fit resources, and therapeutic recreation.  

Project Sanctuary’s program is built on a foundation of first addressing the critical mental health needs of the service member, the spouse/partner, and children in the family as a method to stabilize the family dynamic, better preparing the family unit for ongoing program education. Retreat workshops focus on communication skills, conflict resolution, financial literacy, and living with Post Traumatic Stress. Our program consists of two parts: Family Support and Therapeutic Retreats.  

Our programs are run by a professional team that includes a registered nurse (retired), licensed professional counselors, medical social workers, certified therapeutic recreation specialists, peer mentors, and ~125 trained volunteers, many of whom are veterans and “graduates” of our program.  Moreover, our team is staffed by culturally competent civilians, veterans, and military family members. Our collaborative partnerships with veteran-serving organizations, healthcare providers, foundations, and businesses help us provide cutting-edge solutions and a continuum of care for at-risk military families. Project Sanctuary’s program team focuses on counseling, education, suicide prevention, and therapeutic recreation to help families achieve success. 

Led by a diverse and highly qualified board of directors, Project Sanctuary benefits from their unique backgrounds and expertise to help our organization remain fiscally responsible and strategically plan for growth to meet the needs of military families across the country.  Project Sanctuary’s board includes business owners, attorneys, entrepreneurs, veterans, and financial management experts. Most recently, Project Sanctuary added an associate professor in recreation therapy with a deep understanding of data-driven program excellence. Additionally, we are fortunate to have board members who themselves have personal experience running and maintaining large ranch properties within Colorado.