WEST ALLIS, Wis.— Rogers Behavioral Health is unveiling a new program designed with veterans in mind.
The program is called Fire Watch. The name comes from a military term used to make sure everyone is watching over each other.
Dr. Rae Anne Ho Fung is the executive director of clinical integration and Rogers Behavioral Health. She helped create the Fire Watch program from the ground up.
She’s a veteran herself and said she has always wanted to do something for fellow veterans.
Ho Fung joined the Army National Guard when she was 17-years-old.
Having lost a friend she made in the military, she said this work is personal to her.
“Ever since I’ve been at Rogers, I have been preparing to build a mental health program for veterans,” Ho Fung said. “This doesn’t feel like work to me because my brothers and sisters had my back in some of my most trying times in my life and I want to have their back as they go through trying times.”
The program is primarily for veterans with moral combat injuries. This includes mental health issues and much more.
“We developed a program that is an intensive outpatient program,” Ho Fung said. “It is five days a week, three hours a day. It is intended for people who have tried the traditional outpatient route and it is just not working, and they’re finding that their mental health is really impacting their ability to enjoy life and do the things that they want or need to do.”
The main goal of this program is to provide care to those veterans who don’t qualify through the VA. It’s also all done online so it can reach veterans in more rural areas in Wisconsin and beyond.
“You have to meet certain requirements to qualify for VA care,” Ho Fung said. “There are about 60% of people who have served in the military who do not get treated at the VA. That’s the population that we really want to reach. We want to give them care that is specific to veterans with an understanding and passion for military culture.”
Fire Watch’s team is comprised of medical professionals and veterans.
The program officially launched in September and Ho Fung said she has received positive feedback.
Now that the program is making an impact on the lives of veterans in need, her team is also expanding the program for first responders.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Dr. Rae Anne Ho Fung's name. The error has been corrected. (Nov. 15, 2024)