Veterans and First Responders Foundation plans to expand facility in Mentor

Feb. 22—The Veterans and First Responders Foundation has announced a therapeutic facility in Mentor that will be entirely renovated.

It will include executive offices, therapy offices, working areas, research and development space and a plan to add therapeutic space for veterans and first responders, beginning with a room for individual or group sessions, according to a news release.

"Therapy is a practice that's always changing and evolving, and that's exactly what we plan to do with this space," VFR founder and chairman David Knott said. "The plan is to constantly be at the forefront of trends and new practices in the therapy world. We want this to be an ever-evolving space."

The project will roll out in phases, based on needs and resources, according to the release.

Phase I, a 600-square-foot therapeutic area, is targeted for completion by summer of 2024.

Already underway, the space will serve as a multipurpose environment for any responder, including police, firefighters, paramedics, military, veterans, dispatchers, canines and more, according to the release. The environment will be a comfortable space through a combination of color and lighting and will begin the evolution and the vision of VFR.

It will also accommodate a therapist who will serve as a director of VFR, according to the release.

Phase II will involve renovation of the entire building, complete with a canopy so that guests will be shielded from the elements and welcomed into the comfortable environment.

Knott said every facet of designing the inside will be functional to support a high-level therapy program and will include cutting-edge elements that will impact senses from sight, hearing, sound, color, lighting — causing responders to feel something that they never felt before, and where they will be more relaxed.

"The goal is to have guests feel good about the environment and the compassionate people who greet and interact with them," Knott said.

Plans for Phase III include the addition of a 3,000-square-foot multifunctional structure.

This will become a space where VFR can host as many as 40 people, including first responders and their families, and allot more space dedicated to research and development for therapy programs.

"Therapy is not about medication and masking, it's about having someone to listen and offer up a way to get better through new technology, which will keep evolving and use the most effective processes and programs," Knott added. "First responders save and serve people every day and are in the midst of many stressful and traumatic situations, so this mindful approach to helping them in a space dedicated solely to them is our goal and desire."

The Veterans and First Responders Foundation exists to provide the support that first responders, veterans, military, K9s and their families need to live the fulfilling lives they deserve. Through best-in-class programming, resources, methods and technologies, the nation's heroes can process trauma, stay connected and start to heal.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was edited at 10 a.m.Feb. 23 to correct the expected completion date of Phase I.

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