VFR - Forge Health

Forge VFR (Veteran and First Responder) is mission-focused on improving the mental health and well-being of active-duty service members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families.

Our dedication to this mission earned us a distinct reputation and the trust of departments, agencies, and organizations everywhere. This includes making history with a first-of-its kind partnership with the VA.

Forge VFR’s founding team is a band of Veterans, people in recovery, and people who have had friends and family who have been through what you are experiencing.

All of our services are confidential and are all in-network with the Veterans Community Care Network (VACCN), Humana Military (TRICARE), and commercial health insurance plans. Our multidisciplinary teams of clinicians and medical professionals, many of whom are Veterans or First Responders, are highly trained, and ready to work with you.

For those of you who work in uniform or have been in uniform, we know the weight of the badge, we know the weight of the gear, and we know the weight of the stories. Your problems are not new, our approaches are.

Let’s Forge a new path forward, together.

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For Veterans

It takes real courage to ask for help.

You know what also takes courage?

Admitting your truth. Asking for help. Acknowledging yourself. Opening up. Healing. Forge VFR was created by Veterans (Army, Navy, Marine) because we knew how difficult and challenging it was to get the help we needed and more importantly, deserved. We didn’t want to have another one of us have to walk into a therapist’s office and be judged, have them tell us that they can understand, when they don’t.

What we’ve experienced, what we’ve seen, what we’ve accomplished, what we’ve sacrificed, what we’ve gained, and what we’ve lost cannot be understood by just anyone. It requires having walked in our shoes to truly understand.

Our addiction and mental health treatment programs are designed by Veterans, for Veterans, and families of Veterans, and will help you along every step of your journey.

If you’re experiencing signs of PTS we can help.
If you feel you are having a tough time reintegrating into the community, we can help.
If you feel you can’t connect with your family, we can help.
If you’re feeling lonely and not sure what to do about it, we can help.
If you’re engaging in behaviors that you’re not proud of, like drinking or doing drugs, we can help.
We’re here to get you back on your feet. To honor your true self. To help you reimagine what is possible. To help you Forge a new path forward.

For First Responders

Trust is earned, not given. Both of us have work to do.

As First Responders we are constantly on, assessing a situation, profiling a suspect, best way in, best way out. We are forced to make millions of split second decisions over the course of our careers. We’ve seen things and we’ve heard things, we’ve lost friends and saved some too, but the one thing we will never lose are the experiences and the tribes that we’ve built.

As First Responders we are called on for help, but we don’t ask for it. Why? Because we don’t even know we need it. Or it’s because for us, we hold a stigma towards people with mental health issues. We couldn’t be like them. We resist the urge to ask for help because it can call attention to our own struggles, so instead, we bury ourselves with the job.

As First Responders we’ve grown accustomed to being disconnected, feeling isolated at home because we’re consumed by the thoughts of work, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from the weight of the badge or the uniform.

The story above needs to stop, and it will. That’s why we started Forge VFR. Our confidential services are designed specifically for First Responders.

Your treatment will be with other First Responders, no one else, and that will make your experience with us more comfortable and give you the ability to get treatment with other First Responders who are going through similar issues.

When substance abuse or your overall mental health crosses a certain line, that’s a red light. You can feel it, and we know what it takes to get things on track to make life more manageable and turn goals into realistic moments in your future. We’ll never tell you what to do, but we’ll walk beside you and help you Forge a new path forward.

That’s the trust we’re talking about.

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For Active Duty Military

Actively using while actively serving is a recipe for disaster.

We enlisted or commissioned for different reasons. We wanted to get our life back on track, we needed to get away from our crumbling relationships, we needed a reset financially, and we all enlisted because we wanted to fight for what’s right, for our country, and for freedom. The military is a great place to build a foundation, but you can’t expect the military to do everything for you. When things are broken inside of you or outside of you, the military can’t fix that, it falls on you. Losing a fellow service member in combat, a training accident, a vehicle accident, or by suicide is a reality. MST is unfortunately far too common, and failing a fit for duty test are all realities of our service and can trigger a downward spiral. As Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Coasties, or Guardians, we are committed to our service. When we are faced with substance abuse or mental health issues, the last thing we want to do is self-report or have our chain of command knowing of our issues. We want to be able to go to the field or deploy, and we won’t let our struggles get in the way of this happening. Your loyalty and commitment to service is recognized and appreciated but your loyalty and commitment to hiding your problems, from yourself, is not.

At Forge VFR, privacy and trust is core to how we operate, so your chain of command finding out should be the least of your worries. Forge VFR was created by Veterans (Army, Navy, Marine) because we knew how difficult and challenging it was to get the help we needed and more importantly deserved. We didn’t want to have another one of us have to walk into a therapist’s office and be judged, have them tell us that they can understand, when they don’t. Our addiction and mental health treatment programs are designed by Veterans and will help you along every step of your path of healing.

Actively using while actively serving is a recipe for disaster, let’s Forge a therapeutic alliance to get you back on track, together.

Let’s Talk

A Message From Our Team

“Working inside this organization, as a former NYPD detective and Navy Veteran, I realized that they ‘get it’, and because of this, I feel confident in putting my name and reputation behind them so you can feel comfortable in your journey.

I joined the Forge VFR team because I wanted to continue my service to my fellow Veterans and First Responders with those that shared this same passion and commitment to serving others. I joined because I wanted to be part of the solution in changing the culture of how Veterans and First Responders look at their mental health and receive care.

I along with the rest of the team are here to support you in forging your new path forward, and reimagining what is possible.”

Jason Palamara

Navy Veteran, NYPD Cold Case Detective Ret.,

Director of First Responder Operations @ Forge Health

Our Partners

We’re fixing the broken treatment system for everyone, whether you’re an individual, an employer, or a health plan, look no further. Forge Health’s clinical outcomes are industry leading and speak for themselves. We’re different, here to make a real difference.

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