WHY THIS WORKS-AND WHY IT’S NEEDED NOW
This model wasn’t built on theory or trend.
A mission grounded in truth, lived experience, and data that can’t be ignored.
It was developed in direct response to both empirical research and lived experience.
We didn’t speculate what might work — we identified, through evidence and the voices of real military-connected women, what was missing from traditional systems of care and built intentionally to fill that gap.
1. DISABLED SERVICE-CONNECTED WOMEN VETERANS
THE REALITY
She gave her body and mind to service.
She’s still fighting to be seen as a whole person — not just a percentage rating.
Research-Backed Needs:
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2.5x higher suicide risk than civilian women (VA, 2023)
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55%+ report MST — yet most receive no trauma-informed care
- Chronic pain, PTSD, TBI, and moral injury often left untreated or misunderstood
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Systemic barriers in VA access for women with complex, layered trauma
Why It Matters:
She doesn’t need another checklist. She needs a space that sees her. All of her.
2. NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABLED WOMEN VETERANS
THE REALITY
She served. She sacrificed. But without a service connection, she’s treated like a ghost in the system.
Research-Backed Needs:
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Often excluded from VA therapy, MST support, or benefits
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Emotional distress increases due to invalidation and lack of identity recognition
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No less wounded — but far less supported
Why It Matters:
If she wore the uniform, she belongs here. Her pain doesn’t need a percentage to be valid.
3. MILITARY-CONNECTED CLOSE FAMILY WOMEN
THE REALITY
She didn’t wear the uniform — but war came home with her anyway. She's shaped by legacy. But was never given the tools to unpack it.
Research-Backed Needs:
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Intergenerational trauma scientifically linked to emotional and neurological changes (Yehuda et al., 2018)
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Lack of support spaces for “non-dependent” military-connected women
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Emotional confusion, identity loss, suppressed grief, or unspoken pressure
Why It Matters:
We help her name what was never spoken — and heal what was never hers to carry alone.
4. MILITARY SPOUSES, PARTNERS, & CAREGIVERS
THE REALITY
She may not wear rank, but she’s held the mission together with bare hands. And she’s burned out — emotionally, financially, spiritually.
Research-Backed Needs:
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50%+ of military spouses report anxiety and depression (BSF, 2023)
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Frequent PCS moves contribute to lost income, purpose, and career
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Caregivers of injured veterans experience compassion fatigue and grief
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Often no direct access to trauma-informed services or consistent care
Why It Matters:
She’s done everything for everyone else. RISING HerWay is for her.
Translation?
We’re not a replacement for therapy. We’re the aftercare, the bridge, the community, the joy, and the exhale..
The sisterhood. The rest stop. The reset.
That’s what makes RISING HerWay: The Women Rising Project, both mission-critical and emotionally sustainable.
Sisterhood. Movement. Art. Music. Rest. Laughter. Community.
It’s not “extra.” It’s essential.​