Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. announced they have become a member of R4 Alliance a membership of Programs of Excellence providing community and therapeutic recreation service to Our Military Family (US service members, veterans, and their families) joining forces to overcome barriers in our industry.“We have seen the benefits of recreational activity, specifically fly fishing, with our participants, members of our Military Family who have served in harms way and now must adjust to the impact of their injuries and related health conditions. Ā Partnering with the R4 Alliance offers us the opportunity to share experiences, broaden our outreach, provide additional support to all members of our Military Family and expand our research efforts to demonstrate evidence-based outcomes.” – Tamar P. Martin, Ph.D., CRC, PHWFF MidAtlantic Regional Coordinator.
Answering the call to action by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen and the Office of Warrior and Family Support, R4 Alliance has stepped forward to provide a collaborative approach that enhances research, training, and standards of excellence through focused therapeutic and community recreation programs.Ā This collaboration enables R4 Alliance to bring a wealth of knowledge and capability in meeting the growing needs of veterans and their families.
āUniting our efforts to draw strongly on the ābest of the bestāsā collective knowledge provides the opportunity to make real changes. We need to provide research, education, and care for our veterans that drives positive change in government and healthcare, demands standards of excellence to meet the needs of our current veterans, and enhance veteransā care in the future.ā said R4 Alliance Executive Director Chuck Steele.
Maximizing the Healing Power of Nature and Recreation for Our Military Family, R4 Alliance members, affiliates, and strategic partners work collaboratively to meet the following objectives:
- Create and utilize collaborativeĀ ResearchĀ and evaluation tools that provide a substantial evidence base to: advocate recreation as a crucial component to health and wellness, disseminate findings through the medical community, and provide protocol for individualized client treatment plans
- Serve as a nationally recognized alliance of service providers promotingĀ Standards of ExcellenceĀ to regulate recreation service provision to Our Military Family nationwide
- Provide information sharing systems facilitating communication between service providers necessary for a collaborativeĀ Continuum of CareĀ needed for the highest quality of service provision
- EstablishĀ Education and TrainingĀ guidelines to facilitate the distribution of shared experience and knowledge across the service providers.
- Enhance funding andĀ Economic ViabilityĀ through creative private sector fundraising initiatives and private and public grant writing applications.
āThe enthusiasm that programs like Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. bring to R4 Alliance has been very encouraging. Our collective experience and combined knowledge grows with every program of excellence we bring on board.ā said Bert Gillette Director of Programs and Outreach for R4. āTogether, our voices become stronger, and together we will improve the quality of community and therapeutic recreational services for Our Military Family nationwide!ā
Current R4 recreation and affiliate members include: Higher Ground, Team River Runner, Northeast Passage, Project Sanctuary, Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Operation Game On, Ride 2 Recovery, Eagle Rock Camp, Honor House, the Sierra Club, TERROS Advancing Heroes Project, Georgia Aquariumās Veterans Immersion, World T.E.A.M. Sports, Semper Fidelis Health and Wellness, Healing Our Heroes Project, Hope for the Warriors, Equest Hooves for Heroes, Soldiers to Summits, Operation AMPED, Leaps of Faith Adaptive Skiers, and Combat Veterans to Careers.
R4 Alliance is currently seeking members, strategic partners, volunteers, donors, and sponsors to continue national expansion and outreach. To learn more about how to join and/or support R4 Alliance visit www.r4alliance.org