Headstrong Project

The Headstrong Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing confidential, cost-free mental healthcare to military veterans, service members, and their families. Founded in 2012 by Zach Iscol, a combat-decorated Marine Corps veteran, along with Albert Rabil III and David Petrucco, the organization was established to address the suicide epidemic among veterans and the significant barriers to accessing effective care. Iscol's experiences in the Second Battle of Fallujah and his personal acquaintance with peers lost to suicide directly motivated the project's creation.

The organization operates as a national treatment provider by creating and managing a decentralized network of nearly 300 trauma-informed clinicians in private practice rather than building physical treatment centers. This model allows Headstrong to match clients with a culturally competent therapist in their community for individualized care, which can be delivered in-person in over 17 states or via telehealth nationwide. The clinical approach is rooted in evidence-based therapies proven to treat post-traumatic stress, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE).

Headstrong's business model is funded primarily through contributions, grants, and corporate partnerships, including notable support from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation, and MacKenzie Scott. This funding structure enables the organization to act as the payer for services, making treatment free of bureaucracy and stigma for its clients. Initially, clients receive up to 30 clinical sessions completely free of charge; a co-pay model is introduced for extended therapy to help offset clinical expenses and serve more individuals. The organization's initial partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine was instrumental in developing its comprehensive treatment program.

The target clients are military-connected individuals from any service era, regardless of discharge status, who are dealing with the psychological aftermath of trauma, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, and addiction. By removing financial and administrative barriers, Headstrong aims to provide rapid access to care, typically connecting new clients with a specialist within 48 hours for an intake evaluation. The organization plans to expand its in-person services to 25 states and offer telehealth in all 50 states by 2028.

Keywords: veteran mental health, PTSD treatment, military family support, non-profit healthcare, trauma-focused therapy, suicide prevention, behavioral health, clinical network, telehealth counseling, evidence-based treatment, EMDR, veteran support services, barrier-free healthcare, confidential therapy, service member wellness, Zach Iscol, post-traumatic stress, community-based care, military cultural competence, philanthropic funding