Supporting veterans on their path of healing and growth

Inspiring music plays. A photograph shows a young black woman, Carla, in army fatigues and a helmet smiling in front of an American flag. Obscured behind this photo is the same photo blown up to a larger size. The woman, now middle aged, interviews in a rustic room with wooden walls. Behind her is a leather chair and a row of books. She wears a grey hoodie.

CARLA: I joined the United States Army in 1988.

A photograph shows Carla in a wide-brimmed camo hat leaning over the waist-high door of a metal military hut.

CARLA: I did 14 years. I was deployed twice. One for the Gulf War and one for the Iraqi Freedom.

A photograph shows Carla sitting in a desk chair in an office wearing a khaki shirt. She smiles at the camera.

CARLA: When you’re in the military, you have a family, you have a team of people that you know have your back.

A photograph against a mottled concrete wall shows Carla wearing fatigues in a parking lot, shaking hands with a white person in fatigues. The person’s face is blurred. Another person stands behind them, obscured by the handshake.

CARLA: When you’re out and you’re in the civilian sector you don’t have that. And for a lot of years I struggled…

Carla interviews. White text appears on a blue chyron.

Onscreen text:  Carla Walters

                                    U.S. Army Veteran

CARLA: …Trying to find that sense of belonging. That sense of team. I didn’t have people around me who really, really cared and understood what I was going through.

An older black man with a grizzled grey beard interviews in a lush city park. A chyron appears.

Onscreen text:  Lamont Christian

                                    Director, Warrior PATHH Program

LAMONT: We all suffer from some form of post traumatic stress. Except when you look at the veteran population, those who have served, war is a traumatic experience that they all have gone through. And so we wanna be able to look at taking care of these individuals that were warriors.

A white pickup truck drives down a tree-lined country road toward a large rural home painted barn red and white with several cars parked out front.

LAMONT: The Warrior PATHH Program is designed to be able to help the individual warrior…

Blue text appears against a white background.

Onscreen text:  Find a better version of themselves

LAMONT: …find a better version of themselves.

Lamont interviews.

LAMONT: I have a reason to still be here. I have a reason to still do something to help someone else.

A blue chyron with white text appears over a rustic wooden cabin bordered by trees and a vibrant green lawn.

Onscreen text:             A UnitedHealthcare

                                    grant helps support

                                    combat veterans in

                                    the Warrior PATHH

                                    program.

                                    The program uses

                                    alternative treatment

                                    such as art, music

                                    and equine assisted

                                    psychotherapy.

Lamont interviews.

LAMONT: I often have to tell people when they hear about this Warrior PATHH Program, they say, “Wow! This sounds like, this like, you know, the Land of Oz and the yellow brick road will get to happiness.” No, it’s actually not. You’re still gonna have some crappy days.

Carla uses a long wooden walking stick to stroll down a forest path with a white man in a puffy black vest. His face is blurred.

LAMONT: But what the Warrior PATHH program allows you to do is…

Carla and the man stop to chat.

LAMONT: …it really enables you to recognize, yeah, this is a crappy day, but I can make it a little better than yesterday.

Photos of Carla flash past: she hugs a man in a baseball cap; standing in front of a forest and wearing a bright pink sweater and PATHH hat, she smiles at someone out of sight; standing in a grey t-shirt with a water bottle in hand, she smiles at the forest floor.

CARLA: I do know this: as long as I have breath in me, that I will continue this path, that I will walk this path narrowly knowing there are so many out there that need this.

Carla interviews.

CARLA: You really want to get well, you’re gonna have to work. It’s hard work.

A photo shows Carla inside a room with wooden walls smiling and flexing her arms.

CARLA: But it’s worth it. Here I am today.

Carla interviews.

CARLA: I found my purpose.

She smiles. The stacked U’s of the UnitedHealthcare logo appear against a white background, followed by text.

Onscreen text:             United

                                    Healthcare