BRF Warrior's Keeper Initiative
You Had Each Other's Backs Then. Let's Build That Again.
A free, 8-week program for Orange County Veterans built around shared experience, peer trust, and a support system that keeps showing up after the program ends. No clinic, no therapy, just people who get it, doing things worth showing up for.
Recruitment opens soon. Join our newsletter to be the first to know.
At a Glance
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8 weeks
One meeting and one group activity each week -
Small cohorts
About 10–12 Veterans per group -
No cost to you
Activities, food, and materials are covered -
Virtual sign-up
Start from wherever you're comfortable
What Is the Warrior's Keeper Initiative?
The Warrior's Keeper Initiative is a peer resilience program for Veterans, built around small-group social activities that get Veterans spending time together and working through challenges as a team. Some weeks the challenge might be a paintball game or a climbing wall. Other weeks it's just getting up and out of the house to share a meal, take a walk outside, or catch a game together.
You don't need to be in shape or outdoorsy to belong here. After the first few weeks, each cohort votes on its own activities, so the program is shaped by the people in it. Along the way, the group chooses one of its own, a Keeper, to be its trusted first line of support.
It isn't therapy and it isn't a class. It's a way to rebuild the kind of team that military service used to provide automatically, and to make sure nobody on that team has to handle the hard stuff alone.
Why We're Doing This
Orange County is home to roughly 76,000 Veterans. According to VA's latest national report, 61% of Veterans who died by suicide in 2023 hadn't received VA health care that year or the year before. Many Veterans tell us they'd never walk into a clinic or call a hotline on their own.
So we start somewhere else: with shared experience and real connection. Once there's trust, we help each Veteran get whatever else they need, from VA health care to housing, education, or family support, through a warm hand-off to people we know.
Built Inside an Infantry Battalion
Warrior's Keeper was created by Army Chaplain Justin Roberts (CPT, Ret.) within the 2-327th Infantry Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, in response to a period of elevated suicide risk within the unit in 2009. The idea was simple: let soldiers pick the peer they already turn to, train that person well, and give the unit its own plan for the problems it actually faces.
On the unit's next combat deployment of about 800 soldiers, zero suicides were reported along with a substantial reduction in suicidal ideation. The curriculum has since been used with frontline units in Ukraine.
The group democratically elects the person it already trusts. Nobody is appointed.
Each cohort writes its own "battle drills" for real problems: grief, addiction, divorce, money, isolation, moral injury.
The focus is purpose, strength, and brotherhood and sisterhood. Asking for help is part of the mission.
Keepers are trained and supported by licensed clinicians, so peer support connects to professional help instead of replacing it.
Outcome figures come from Triarii, LLC's military implementation of the curriculum. BRF is delivering Warrior's Keeper in a community setting under license from Triarii and will report its own results as cohorts complete.
How the 8 Weeks Work
Veterans who've never met don't trust each other on day one, and they shouldn't have to. The program starts with a few weeks of planned activities that give the group real reasons to rely on each other, then hands the wheel to the cohort.
Phase 1 · Weeks 1–3
Build the Team
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Week 1: Kickoff
Meet Chaplain Justin Roberts over a meal and learn the Warrior's Keeper ethos. Then yoga, breakfast, and indoor climbing, where belaying and spotting mean trusting the person on the other end of the rope.
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Week 2: Your Brain, Explained
A hands-on session in Dr. Hasselmann's UC Irvine neuroscience lab, including real human brain tissue, and discussions about how trauma, stress, and moral injury change the brain. These are physical changes, not personal weakness.
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Week 3: Into the Backcountry
The cohort starts writing its Code, then heads out on a full-day hike it plans itself, with a certified guide. By the end of the week, the group elects its Keeper.
Phase 2 · Weeks 4–7
Your Cohort, Your Call
The cohort takes ownership. Your Keeper, now certified in Mental Health First Aid, leads weekly peer sessions at a time and place the group chooses, with BRF staff supporting in the background.
Each week, the group also picks its own activity from our menu (see below) with two weeks' notice. BRF handles the bookings and the bill.
Phase 3 · Week 8
Graduate, Not Disappear
A final Code review, then a graduation BBQ for participants and their families.
After graduation, your Keeper and your cohort are still there. BRF keeps checking in monthly, and all of the year's graduating cohorts come together for a year-end celebration.
The Activity Menu
In Weeks 4–7, your cohort chooses what to do. Options span every intensity level, and every activity has an accessible alternative.
High-Intensity
Outdoor climbing at Joshua Tree, jiu jitsu, paintball, obstacle courses, archery, or a smash room.
Nature & Adventure
Overnight backpacking, paddleboarding, kayaking, equine groundwork, or fishing.
Mindfulness & Making
Yoga and climbing, iron forging and knife making, glass blowing, or an open studio art session.
Culinary
A grill master lesson or a cooking class.
Community & Social
A Dodgers, Angels, or Ducks game, dinner at a Veteran-owned restaurant, a beach cleanup or habitat restoration, or a family BBQ.
What's Included
- All eight weeks of meetings and activities, including food, gear, and fees
- A dedicated case manager and a personal plan you write together, in your own words
- Help enrolling in or navigating VA health care, if you want it
- Warm introductions to local organizations for housing, jobs, education, finances, family support, and clinical care
- Gas cards or rideshare help if getting to sessions is a barrier
- Monthly check-ins for a full year after you enroll
Who Can Join
The program is for Veterans and former service members, with a focus on those living or working in Orange County. You don't need to be enrolled in VA care, and you don't need a diagnosis or a referral.
Not sure whether you qualify? Sign up for updates anyway. We confirm eligibility during intake, and if this program isn't the right fit, we'll connect you with one that is.
Everybody is welcome. Each participant gets a quick accommodation check at sign-up, every activity has an accessible option, and the Keeper role is about trust, not physical ability.
Recruitment Opening Soon
How to Join
We aren't enrolling participants yet. Sign up for our newsletter and we'll let you know as soon as the recruitment date is announced.
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1
Join the newsletter
Sign up now. You'll get the recruitment release date and sign-up instructions as soon as they're ready.
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2
Virtual intake
Once recruitment opens: a private video or phone conversation with our team, including a few standard wellbeing questionnaires.
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Join a cohort
You leave intake with a personal plan and a spot in the next available cohort.
Your information stays with BRF. It is kept in a secure system, is never shared with our advertising or curriculum partners, and anything reported to the VA is de-identified.
Who You'll Meet
Scientists, clinicians, guides, and Veterans who've been in the room before.
Chaplain Justin Roberts
Warrior's Keeper Creator · Triarii, LLC
Army Chaplain (CPT, Ret.) who built Warrior's Keeper inside the 101st Airborne. He introduces each cohort to the program and trains BRF staff.
Jonathan Hasselmann, PhD
Executive Director · Program Coordinator
Neuroscientist studying traumatic brain injury at UC Irvine. He coordinates the program and leads the Week 2 brain lab session.
Hayley Kristinsson, PsyD, ABPP-CN
Clinical Supervisor
Board-certified clinical neuropsychologist at UC Irvine with clinical experience serving Veterans with TBI and PTSD. She oversees safety and supports our case managers.
Jesse Holt, PhD
Outdoor Program Lead
Neuroscientist, Wilderness First Responder, and backcountry trip leader with 13 years of incident-free expeditions. He guides the program's hikes, climbs, and overnight trips.
Nicole Lucena
Yoga Program Lead
Certified yoga instructor with experience making yoga approachable for skeptical and guarded groups. She leads the cohort yoga sessions.
Robert Buchanan
Veteran Cultural Advisor · CHAPPIE, LLC
Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and Purple Heart recipient. He holds a master's degree in psychology and he co-leads the Veteran-owned teams behind Warrior's Keeper and our outreach.
The program is staffed by a team of case managers and trained peer volunteers, and we prioritize hiring Veterans and military family members.
Common Questions
When does the program start?
We're finishing preparations now and will announce the recruitment date through our newsletter. Sign up here so you don't miss it.
Is this therapy?
No. Warrior's Keeper is a non-clinical, peer-based program. If you want clinical care, your case manager will help connect you to it, whether that's through the VA or a community provider.
Do I have to be enrolled in VA health care?
No. Many participants aren't connected to the VA at all. If you'd like to enroll, we'll help you through it. If not, that's your call.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Activities, meals, materials, and meeting space are covered, and transportation help is available if getting to sessions is a barrier.
What if I'm not in shape for climbing or hiking?
Every activity has an accessible alternative, and climbing gyms and trails offer routes at every level. We'll ask about any accommodations during sign-up so the plan fits you.
What does a Keeper do?
The Keeper is the person the group already trusts. They're elected by the cohort at the end of Week 3, complete Mental Health First Aid certification (paid for by BRF), lead weekly peer sessions in Weeks 4–7, and stay a point of contact for the group after graduation. Keepers aren't counselors. They're trained to notice when someone's struggling and get them connected with BRF staff or other help.
Can my family be involved?
Yes. Immediate family members are invited to the Week 8 graduation BBQ and the year-end celebration, cohorts can choose family-friendly activities, and your case manager can connect your family with counseling and support services.
Where does it take place?
Sign-up is fully virtual. Cohort meetings and activities are in person across Orange County and nearby, with virtual participation available for weekly meetings when accessibility requires it.
Support You Can Use Today
You don't have to wait for recruitment to get support. These free resources are available now.
Veterans Crisis Line
Confidential, 24/7 support for Veterans and the people who care about them. Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online, or text 838255.
Don't Wait. Reach Out.
VA's guide to support for stress, relationships, money, housing, and more, before things reach a breaking point.
Keep It Secure
Practical, judgment-free guidance on safely storing firearms and medications for you and your family.
Vet Centers
Community-based counseling for Veterans, service members, and their families. Find the one nearest you.
Free Emergency Suicide Care
Veterans and former service members can get free emergency suicide care at VA or non-VA facilities.
Know a Veteran Who Should Be Here?
Most people join because someone they trust told them about it. Share this page and encourage them to join our newsletter so they hear when recruitment opens. Organizations interested in referring Veterans or partnering with us can sign up too, and we'll be in touch.
Join the NesletterAbout the SSG Fox Grant
The BRF Warrior's Keeper Initiative is funded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP). The program funds community organizations that provide outreach, suicide prevention services, and connections to VA and other resources for eligible Veterans, service members, and their families, especially those not yet connected with VA.
A life honored. The program is named for Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox, a sniper instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Known for a life of generosity and kindness to others in need, SSG Fox died by suicide in 2020 at age 25.
Learn more about the program at MentalHealth.VA.gov/ssgfox-grants. The Warrior's Keeper curriculum is used under license from Triarii, LLC.