At our last meeting, we welcomed Holly Callen from Bravo Zulu House. Bravo Zulu House provides sober living and recovery support for veterans with PTSD and addiction, with an existing men’s home and plans underway for a dedicated women veterans’ home.
• Their approach was modeled after Trinity Sober Homes in St. Paul, which Holly said has achieved a 71% sobriety success rate compared with a typical rate of about 25%. Bravo Zulu sought to understand Trinity’s “secret sauce” and adapt it specifically for veterans.
• Residents arrive sober following treatment and are asked to stay for at least six months, with no maximum length of stay as long as they continue progressing. Residents work or volunteer as they rebuild structure and purpose in their lives.
• The program emphasizes dignity and individualized support, including private rooms, PTSD counseling and medical care through Mayo Clinic, spiritual coaching, peer support and dog therapy.
• Bravo Zulu is now developing a women veterans’ home, designed around the specific needs and feedback of women veterans. Plans include private bedroom-and-bathroom suites, a wellness space and garden, with particular attention to the needs of women who have experienced military sexual trauma.
• Holly shared her guiding philosophy: “Help one person, help a multitude”—the idea that helping one veteran rebuild their life creates a ripple effect as they go on to help others.
A special connection to the project: Visiting Rotarian Guy Marzano, a member of the Veterans Rotary Club, and his family made a significant donation to the new Bravo Zulu women’s home in memory of his late wife, Chris Leick, who passed away last year. The home’s library will be named in her honor.
