Project Healing Waters and MindStreet Partner on Groundbreaking Mental Health Study for Veterans

Project Healing Waters (PHW), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of Veterans, has partnered with MindStreet, Inc. (MindStreet), a pioneering digital therapeutics company to conduct a pilot study to evaluate the impact of fly fishing and digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT) to improve Veteran mental health.

PHW commissioned the study “Fishing for Calm – Impact of Combining a Fly-Fishing Adventure and Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program on Veteran Mental Health: A Pilot Study.” Launched in July 2024, the pilot study is designed to scientifically investigate the 20+ years of anecdotal evidence on the benefits of fly fishing on Veteran mental health. The pilot study includes comprehensive pre- and post-assessments of key mental health markers to study the therapeutic effects of combining a week-long fly-fishing outing with MindStreet’s Good Days Ahead (GDA) dCBT program and how the experience may be customized to help Veterans heal, feel, and stay better. While the study is still underway, it will provide scientific insights into the potential of combining outdoor, community-building experiences and cutting-edge digital therapeutics to address the mental health challenges faced by Veterans across the country.

“Our Veterans deserve innovative and effective solutions to the mental health challenges they face,” said John ’Saint’ Langford, CEO of Project Healing Waters. “Our collaboration with MindStreet has the potential to reimagine how we approach Veteran mental health, bringing nature-based and digital interventions together in a groundbreaking and outcomes-driven way.”

“Clinician-grade digital tools combined with nature-based lifestyle changes could provide a powerful approach to healing,” added Jesse H. Wright, MD, PhD, MindStreet’s Chief Medical Advisor and creator of the Good Days Ahead digital therapeutics platform. “We intend to use the clinical insights from this study to assist PHW in their mission to help even more veterans in the future.”

The study will conclude by the end of this year, with the results available for publication in early 2025. The findings are expected to help inform future programs to improve mental health coverage, care, and outcomes for Veterans.

About Project Healing Waters:

Project Healing Waters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2005 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to initially serve wounded service members returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, it has grown into a national nonprofit, offering therapeutic outdoor recreation programs in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers nationwide. PHW provides active military personnel and Veterans with a curriculum focused on fly fishing, casting, tying, and rod building, promoting healing through the restorative power of nature. Since its inception, PHW helped over 65, 000 Veterans and has built a community of 6, 500 volunteers. By fostering camaraderie and community, PHW contributes to a greater sense of belonging, resilience, and post-traumatic growth for Veterans of all service eras. www.projecthealingwaters.com

About MindStreet:

Founded in 2020 by the pioneers of computer-assisted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CCBT), MindStreet, Inc. is a digital therapeutics company that develops and distributes clinically validated, evidence-based therapeutic tools to effectively and efficiently address mental health conditions. Solutions include self-directed, coach-supported, and provider-administered adjunctive treatments to address and improve mental health symptoms and outcomes. MindStreet’s Good Days Ahead (GDA) program is a comprehensive mental health benefits program that includes assessments, digital therapeutics, and continuous monitoring to expand mental health coverage and care affordably and at scale. Organizations use GDA to help “Find, Fix, and Foster” population mental health by offering immediately accessible, personalized care through its convenient, private, scalable digital mental health platform. www.mindstreet.com

Media Inquiries:

For more information on the study or to schedule interviews with Project Healing Waters or MindStreet representatives, respectively, please contact:

Sam Amsterdam
Amsterdam Group Public Relations
Sam@AmsterdamGroup.net
+1 (202) 910-8349

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