William Boelcke spent the years 1998 to 2000 with the U.S. Air Force. He’d spend the next 18-plus years battling mental health issues and substance abuse. Two years ago, in a treatment facility in Rockford, Ill., Boelcke was introduced to BraveHearts and its equine-assisted therapy program. The non-profit organization based in Illinois has been working with veterans, providing free equine-assisted therapy and a place of calm and acceptance, since 2007.
“I found something that helped me in my recovery and I’ve stuck with it,” Boelcke shares. “I started going on a weekly basis while I was in the treatment program and they told me I could continue coming for a year afterward. It has done so much for my recovery, my confidence level and my self-esteem.”