A New Ally for Military Families

Pura Vida Joins Forces with TriCare!

Building on our partnership with TriWest and the VA’s Office of Community Care, we are proud to announce a new contract impacting Military Service Members & families.

This is an exceptionally proud day for our staff. We are honored to have earned the trust and recognition of the military community and pledge to continue providing unparalleled treatment deserving of their great service.

Healing on the Homefront

Though caring for our Veteran and Active-Duty patients is a tremendous privilege, we want to give special acknowledgment to the military family members also covered by this contract. While we often extol the sacrifices military service demands of soldiers, we don’t seem to speak as much about it's impact on their loved ones.

Frequent moves and deployment isolation can set the stage for a myriad of behavioral health issues. Even once their tour ends, trauma has an insidious way of following soldiers home from the battlefield and taking root among the family.

A 2015 SAMHSA Study observed that 31.5% of military spouses self-reported binge drinking within the last year, and 12.8% reported use of illicit drugs. These rates are roughly 11-14% higher than among civilian spouses. Similarly, 29.1% of military spouses surveyed reported suffering from at least one mental illness within the past year, an increase of about 10% compared to civilian spouses of the same age.

These issues also tend to disproportionately effect women. As noted by the US Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, the vast majority of military spouses are women, up to 31.6% of whom are unemployed or under-employed as a result of challenges posed by their partners service (frequent relocation, child care responsibilities, etc.), leaving them at increased risk of developing toxic stress, depression, and substance abuse.

These dramatic numbers call out in hope of a solution, and Pura Vida stands ready to answer with our adept treatment, supportive alumni community, and robust wrap-around services like sober living, vocational training, resume workshops, life skills classes, family program, and parenting groups.

An Experienced Perspective

"As a former service member, I know firsthand the impact deployment can have, both on soldiers and their spouses. Fighting substance abuse, mental illness, and suicide among military families is the greatest calling of my heart.

As the Medical Director for Pura Vida, it means the world to me to be able to provide for the health and well-being of these patients. I am so proud to work for an organization that recognizes this need and is ready to respond with life-saving resources in service of those who serve and their loved ones."

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and readership! As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with questions about our program, and stay tuned for more updates!

With gratitude,

The leadership and staff at Pura Vida Recovery Services