About HG


MISSION STATEMENT:
Higher Ground (HG) is a nationally recognized veteran rehabilitation program that combines sports, family and coping therapies to restore and rehabilitate men and women of the armed forces who have been severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  • Recognized as a premier rehabilitation program by the Department of Defense, military medical centers, and veteran service programs around the country
  • Three year follow-up care plan for all participants
  • Serves more than 60 wounded veterans and their significant others each year
  • Hosts specialty camps for female wounded veterans
  • One of the first programs to include spouses and significant others
  • Funds 100% of the camp expenses for a veteran and spouse
  • Camps are small to promote peer bonding
  • Camps feature customized, one-on-one instruction from certified professionals

Higher Ground (HG) utilizes a highly innovative, multidisciplinary approach to therapy that combines sports, family, and coping therapies to restore and rehabilitate men and women of the armed forces who have been severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. HG is recognized as one of the premier rehabilitation programs in the country by the Department of Defense, military medical centers, and veteran service organizations. Often overlooked, a veteran’s transition back into civilian life poses challenges that can be as daunting as the physical recovery. Our goal is to give each veteran the physical skills, confidence, and coping strategies necessary for a successful reintegration into their families and communities.

We inspire hope and encourage veterans and their significant others to apply the lessons learned at HG camps to their daily lives. The transformations that take place are truly profound. Veterans leave our program having rediscovered their own potential, committed to not allowing their injuries define who they are.

Our Staff

Higher Ground has an experienced team of professionals to run its programs and manage operations. Three of the staff are certified recreation therapists; many of the other staff and interns have recreation therapy training and backgrounds. Higher Ground has more than 300 volunteers, a number of whom are certified sports instructors. We also have professional physical, occupational, and psychoanalytical therapists who regularly volunteer their time.

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HG News
HG Innovation

Higher Ground continues to take a leadership role in an effort to share its research findings and best practices with military centers, universities, hospitals, and adaptive sports organizations across the nation. Our goal is to improve long-term care for wounded veterans by demonstrating the efficacy of sports, family, and coping therapies as a means of rehabilitation.

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Who we Serve

We specialize in serving veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), polytrauma, blindness, and mental illness. Our secondary injury specialization includes visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, and hearing impairments.

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