By DaisyMae VanValkenburgh-Haftel, VETS Email Marketing Manager + HubSpot Administrator

For many veterans, the war doesn’t end when they return home. Long after the battlefield has quieted, a different kind of fight begins–one for peace, healing, and a future beyond health challenges.

At VETS, we believe that healing is a right, not a privilege. That’s what we mean by Freedom to Heal. It’s not just a phrase. It’s a promise. And it’s the driving force behind everything we do.

More Than a Motto, It’s a Declaration

“Freedom to Heal” is a declaration of what every veteran deserves after serving our country. Veterans fought for our collective freedom. Now, they deserve the freedom to heal on their own terms with care that works, with respect, and with the support that meets them where they are.

But far too many face:

  • Limited access to effective care.
  • Stigma around mental health and psychedelic therapies.
  • Ineffective or harmful treatments.
  • A broken system that keeps them stuck.

“My life changed completely after just one psychedelic experience. Immediately and without self judgment, I was able to positively reflect on my current situation. For the first time, I could clearly see my life and the decisions that brought me to this moment in time. For the first time in my life, my heart opened, and a rush of emotions flooded my mind and body. For the first time I felt positively connected to my body, to my mind and to other people in my life.”

-Anonymous, VETS Grant Recipient (2021) and VETS Ambassador

This is the heart of our mission: to ensure that no veteran is left behind when it comes to healing.

What Healing Looks Like With The Right Support

VETS exists to remove barriers to psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans struggling with trauma, PTSD, TBI, depression, anxiety, and other health challenges. Through our Foundational Healing Grant + Coaching Program , we provide access to:

  • Financial support to legal, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  • Trauma-informed coaching from trained professionals who understand the veteran experience.
  • A community of support that reinforces that no one has to go through this alone.

“The gift of healing led me to a brotherhood that embraces each other with understanding and compassion. This gift was also given to my wife, who shared my path of service and found healing through the generosity of VETS. Together, we have a new path, along with our children, that will leave behind fear, anxiety, and depression. With our VETS healing community, we will move forward and embrace life on a new path filled with love, healing, and happiness.”

-Herb Daniels, VETS Grant Recipient (2022) and VETS Ambassador

These are not isolated stories. They are part of a powerful movement… a growing body of proof that psychedelic-assisted therapy can work when nothing else has.

VETS’ Promise to Veterans

What makes the Foundational Healing Grant unique is that it acknowledges a hard truth: for many veterans, traditional routes to healing have failed. What remains is often isolation, desperation, and hopelessness.

That’s where VETS steps in with clarity and conviction: You’re not broken, and you’re not alone.

Our program isn’t just about funding treatment. It’s about walking alongside each veteran on their path toward wholeness, with compassion, respect, and purpose.

“The wraparound support provided by VETS has helped me build the skills to live a life that revolves around a practice of compassion, kindness and peace instead of darkness, suicidal thoughts, and destruction. My wife, Tracey, has equally benefited from the support of VETS programs and now our marriage is a partnership I hadn’t ever imagined was possible. Every person in my life has benefited from VETS because of how I show up in life and relationships. I am blessed with a new lease on life and I don’t take that lightly. Thank you for your continued support of this amazing mission.”

-Brandon Bryan, VETS Grant Recipient (2022) and VETS Ambassador

Why Now Matters

As we continue our summer and fall education campaigns, this message has never been more urgent.

According to the VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention , approximately 17 veterans are lost to suicide each day, but research suggests the real figure could be significantly higher.

A study by America’s Warrior Partnership’s Operation Deep Dive™ found that when accounting for often-overlooked self-injury mortality, the number of veteran suicides could be as high as 44 per day.

Since 2001, more than 140,000 veterans have died by suicide, a stark contrast to the roughly 7,000 U.S. military service members who have lost their lives in combat during the same period.

Thousands of veterans are still waiting for care. We won’t stop until Freedom to Heal is a reality, for every one of them.

How You Can Join The Fight for Freedom To Heal

Whether you’re a donor, a veteran, a policymaker, or simply someone who believes in doing the right thing… you have a role to play.

  • Donate to help veterans access life-changing psychedelic therapy.
  • Share the message that healing is a right, not a privilege.
  • Support the movement for compassionate, evidence-based care.

Because for those who fought for our freedom, we fight for their healing.

No Veteran Should Have to Fight Alone

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community. It happens when stigma is replaced by support, and silence is replaced by action. At VETS, we’re not just offering grants. We’re offering a path back to wholeness. To freedom. Freedom to Heal.