You deserve to live a great life
“The cost of service cannot be the quality of your existence.” – Josh Goldberg
Post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety leave a mark on people that others don’t always see. At Warrior PATHH in the PNW, we see it, we understand it, and we know how to transform those struggles into strength. Warrior PATHH was created for the hundreds of thousands of warriors and first responders who are fighting a different battle on the home front; the fight to find a life worth living. The effect of traumatic stress on combat veterans and first responders is the catalyst for Warrior PATHH.
Critical need in our homes, community, and country
The Warrior PATHH training program was created to assist the nearly 3 million service members who deployed to or supported combats zones (many of whom deployed multiple times) since September 11, 2001. Lamentably, we have lost even more of our warriors to suicide than we have on those battlefields, and the suicide rate among veterans remains close to double that of the non-veteran adult population in our country. Our first responder community is unfortunately no different. An estimated 30 percent of first responders suffer from post-traumatic stress, and annually more than twice as many from that community die by suicide than in the line of duty. Aggravating those circumstances, studies consistently show that conventional treatments such as talk therapy and pharmaceuticals are either ineffective, inaccessible, or both. Considering the significance of that information, it is reasonable to ask what it might mean for our combat veterans and first responders to instead live their lives as the best possible versions of themselves. What could it really mean for them personally? What would it mean to their mothers and fathers or their spouses and children? Who could they be for our communities, for our local governments, for our world? What if…
What if we could make a difference? we are, and you can.
The Permission To Start Dreaming Foundation has brought Warrior PATHH training to our community here in the Pacific Northwest, in partnership with the Avalon Action Alliance. Our partnership with them has served to magnify our strength and resolve in providing support for our veterans and first responders, both advancing our reach and accelerating our progress potential significantly. We now offer PATHH programs in the PNW for both male and female combat veterans, active-duty personnel, and first responders – and no clinical diagnosis of any kind is required to attend. Warrior PATHH is designed to harness the power of the first responder’s training and field experience, and the veteran’s military training and combat experience, to enable our warriors to unlock their remarkable potential at home. Once that potential is unlocked, the positive ripple effects through their families and our communities are profound. Our commitment to this training is pinned upon our knowledge that trauma does not need to diminish vitality or cause our veterans and first responders to live a diminished life.
“Transformed By Trauma: Stories of Post-traumatic growth”
from boulder crest foundation, this film shares Powerful stories told by veterans, service members and first responders, adding context and sheds light on the impact of pts diagnoses – and why warrior pathh is bringing critical healing to those who deserve it most!
what is warrior pathh?
Warrior PATHH (Progressive & Alternative Training Helping Heroes) is our nation’s first non-clinical, peer-to-peer program designed to cultivate and facilitate Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). PTG occurs when a person turns adversity, trauma, or other challenges into positive psychological change. That is a shift that enables an individual to stop simply surviving and instead begin to THRIVE – not in spite of, but because of their life experiences.
This transformative, lifelong, posttraumatic growth training program focuses on post-9/11 combat veterans and first responders struggling with traumatic stress symptoms (some of the collateral damage associated with a life dedicated to service, including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other challenges associated with trauma), giving them the training necessary to make peace with the past, live in the present, and plan for a great future. Throughout the program, students learn proven techniques to regulate thoughts, feeling, and actions, work to connect head and heart, and realize the opportunity to make peace with past traumatic experiences. This individual development enables our warriors to transform times of deep struggle into profound strength and lifelong growth.
Warrior PATHH begins with a 7-day on-site initiation and is followed by 90 days of continued training, which is delivered and supported by our network of instructors through our online platform. All Warrior PATHH instructors have personally walked this road from struggle to strength, which allows the blended team of combat veterans and first responders to leverage their own training and personal experiences to guide PATHH attendees in the journey toward the life they deserve to live.
Why Does Warrior PATHH Work?
Where many mainstream mental health approaches fail, Warrior PATHH works for a number of reasons:
results matter
Our team of trained combat veterans and first responders lead participants through and intensive, immersive, seven-day in person training followed by months of continuing remote education, support, and accountability. A thorough, cross-network, 18-month program assessment on Warrior PATHH shows:
Who is Eligible for Warrior PATHH?
Warrior PATHH programs are available for both men and women who are veterans (active-duty or veteran) and first responders. To be eligible to attend PATHH training, applicants MUST be an active, retired, or separated veteran -or- an active, retired, or separated certified first responder. Our VA Staff Sergeant Parker Fox Suicide Prevention Grant removes the barrier of veterans needing to pay for this training.
No clinical diagnosis or prior mental health care is required to attend.
-For training eligibility, we define a combat veteran as anyone who has served in any of the five major branches of service and was deployed to, or supported, a combat zone. Being a recipient of a Combat Action Ribbon, Combat Infantry/Combat Action Badge is not required; however, each applicant for Warrior PATHH must be able to provide documentation of service and/or support that denotes areas of service in a combat zone.
– For training eligibility, we define a first responder as anyone who has received certification and has actively served their community as a police officer, sheriff’s deputy, firefighter, EMS, corrections officer, health care worker, or any federal law enforcement or intelligence agency personnel.
Registering for Warrior PATHH
Thank you for your interest in the Warrior PATHH Program, a transformative program designed to support service members, veterans, and first responders on their path to healing and growth. We’re here to guide you through the application process, ensuring a seamless experience.
- Applying via Our Partner Network: Applying to the Warrior PATHH Program is simple. You can start your application by clicking the link below. This will direct you to a central application link for the entire network, streamlining the process
for your convenience.
- Location and Program Assignment: While you may initiate your application through a specific Warrior PATHH partner organization, it’s important to note that Warrior PATHH is administered by a network of veteran service organizations nationwide.
Based on your application details and availability within our network locations, you may be assigned to any of these sites. Regardless of the initial application point, the program remains consistent across all locations, ensuring a standardized
and impactful experience.
- Privacy and Data Usage: Your privacy is our priority. All the information you provide in the application is strictly used to determine the best location to serve you within the Warrior PATHH network. None of your data is shared outside of
this trusted network.
- Next Steps: Once we receive your application, a dedicated member of the Warrior PATHH network will reach out to you within 4 business days to schedule an interview. This interview will mark the beginning of your journey toward healing and growth. We look forward to supporting you on your path to transforming Struggle to Strength through the Warrior PATHH Program.
Disclaimer: Warrior PATHH is a peer-based training program that relies on a variety of educational and experiential activities for the purpose of teaching life skills, increasing community integration and involvement, and promoting physical, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual health. Warrior PATHH is not an outpatient or residential clinical treatment program and does not offer any health care services including, but not limited to, use of licensed healthcare professionals in the delivery of programs or supervision of staff. Warrior PATHH does not involve the provision of health care of any kind including, but not limited to, individual, group, or family counseling or psychotherapy, pharmacological management, or medical interventions. Warrior PATHH is not offered as a substitute or replacement for health care services, which may be ongoing or needed at any time by program participants.
Meet OUr A Team
Saudi McVea
Program Director
Saudi joined as the Warrior PATHH Program Director in December 2024, having served as a Warrior PATHH guide since July 2021. A retired U.S. Air Force CMSGT and combat veteran with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, she specialized in Aeromedical Evacuation. Saudi first attended the Warrior PATHH program at Boulder Crest Virginia in January 2020 after the devastating loss of her son, a U.S. combat veteran, to suicide in 2017. Her personal journey through the trauma has deepened her commitment to the transformative power of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) and it’s lifelong impact.
Will Marshall
PATHH Guide
linda allen
PATHH Guide
Linda has been a Warrior PATHH guide since December 2022. An Air Force veteran and retired Washington State Trooper, she also served as an Explosive Detection K9 Handler and a member of the Critical Incident Team. In 2021, Linda attended the Warrior PATHH program with the Permission to Start Dreaming Foundation after feeling like her walls were being crushed in by society, homelife, and work. Embracing wellness practices and self-regulation has helped her stay grounded and thrive, enabling her to walk alongside others on their journey toward Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG).
Will Labadie
PATHH Guide
Will attended the Warrior PATHH program in early 2021 in the Pacific Northwest and became a PATHH Guide later that summer. A combat veteran, Will served as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army for eight years, including deployments to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Having experienced the transformative power of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), he is passionate about helping others turn their struggles into strength and sharing the gift that profoundly impacted his own journey.
jason nord
PATHH Guide
Jason is a former Navy SEAL whole military career instilled in him a deep sense of duty and resilience. In early 2024, he attended the Warrior PATHH program, a transformative experience that deepened his understanding of the power of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). Inspired by the program’s impact, Jason became a Warrior PATHH Guide later that year. He is passionate about helping others navigate their own journeys of healing and growth, turning adversity into strength. Honored to serve our nation’s heroes, Jason is committed to walking alongside fellow veterans and first responders as they rediscover purpose and forge new paths forward.
David tram
PATHH Guide
David is a U.S. Army veteran who served consecutive tours in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2006 to 2008. A graduate of Warrior PATHH Class 030, he returns as a PATHH Guide in November 2024. David shares his personal journey of social reintegration, managing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and striving toward sustainable Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). Married since 2008 and a proud father of two daughters, David enjoys spending his free time reading and cooking.
Warrior PATHH in the pnw 2025 Schedule
The Warrior PATHH program is delivered at 11 locations across the country — Warrior PATHH in the PNW at our facility in Port Orchard, WA; Boulder Crest Foundation in Virginia, Arizona and nationally through the Mobile Training Team; and in partnership with Gratitude America (Florida), Camp Southern Ground (Georgia), Travis Mills Foundation (Maine), Big Red Barn Retreat (South Carolina), Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (Arkansas), and Eagle Oak Retreat Foundation (Texas).
January 2025
Warrior PATHH 044 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
January 3-9
January 2025 (Women’s Session)
Warrior PATHH 045 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
January 17-23
March 2025
Warrior PATHH 046 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA)
March 7-13
April 2025 (Women’s Session)
Warrior PATHH 047 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
April 4-10
April 2025
Warrior PATHH 048 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
April 25-May 1
May 2025
Warrior PATHH 049 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
May 16-22
May 2025 (Women’s Session)
Warrior PATHH 050 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
May 30-June 5
September 2025 (Women’s Session)
Warrior PATHH 051 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
September 26-October 2
October 2025
Warrior PATHH 052 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
October 10-16
October 2025 (Women’s Session)
Warrior PATHH 053 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
October 24-30
November 2025
Warrior PATHH 054 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
November 14-20
December 2025
Warrior PATHH 055 (Pilgrim Firs Camp & Conference Center, Port Orchard WA):
December 5-12
Questions? Please contact our team at [email protected]
Who We Are
We are committed to bringing hope and healing to our first responders, military members, veterans and their families dealing with post-traumatic stress and combat trauma.
Do You Need Help?
If you are in a crisis and need to talk right away, or you are concerned about somebody else, there is always someone to listen and help.
