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At Bastion, no veteran heals alone. That’s why we believe in community as the intervention, harnessing the power of connection to fuel growth and progress.
Our community is both the grounds and catalyst for healing — a safe place for veterans to explore what they want their post-military life to look like with the support of our evidence-backed programs and specialized services.
Our new Veteran Wellness Center eliminates barriers to access by creating space for partner organizations to serve our veterans directly. All of Bastion’s programs, resources, and wellness offerings are cost-free.
Some Bastion programs are specifically for veterans or veterans with certain conditions, while many welcome veterans’ family members, caretakers, and non-veteran community members to join us.
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Headway is Bastion’s signature brain injury program, serving post-9/11 veterans living with a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or other neurological condition.
Powered by Wounded Warrior Project, this CARF-accredited program provides veterans with a combination of individualized occupational therapy and group engagement opportunities.
Veterans set unique long and short term goals to work towards with their occupational therapist while gaining meaningful motivation and support from the camaraderie of the group setting.
As of Summer 2025, Headway has officially launched its first satellite location in San Antonio, proudly serving the TBI-affected veterans of Bexar County, also known as “Military City USA.”
Our new Wellness Intensive provides veterans with an 10 week path towards lowering stress, reducing anxiety, and managing symptoms of depression. Participants gain the tools and education to improve mental health and promote wellness.
Throughout the week, Bastion hosts wellness offerings that are free and open to the public, including our Walking Group, TRE (Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises) and Sobriety Group. You can find these on our events calendar.
At Bastion, we know there are many paths to healing which is why we work to offer access to as many modalities as possible. Our Veteran Wellness Center hosts partner organizations and community based providers, creating a diverse array of resources for holistic wellness.
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The residents of Bastion’s 58 housing units cultivate an intentional community that includes veterans, civilians, and their families.
Our nonprofit does not own or maintain these units – we provide cost-free, life-changing resources to the families who live in them and foster community between residents, program participants, and veterans from all across New Orleans.
Bastion’s Residential Food Program distributes up to 500 lbs of food per week through our Community Pantry. Veterans in our workforce program help prepare and distribute up to 90 community meals each week. Our resident chefs prepare food for housebound elders, cook for community events and social gatherings, and facilitate healthy meals where they provide education about how to cook for certain health conditions.
Other resources we’ve curated for our residential population include:
Our Bastion Ambassadors Workforce Program evolved out of a desire to help veterans explore new skills while formalizing ongoing tasks in the community.
Participants work part-time within the Bastion community in roles tailored to their needs and goals, with the support and guidance of staff.
Bastion currently employs three resident chefs and two adaptive van drivers. These roles serve our community while creating employment opportunities.
At present, this program is primarily open to residents of the Bastion community and will open to our broader veterans community in the future. Thanks to our new Veteran Wellness Center, we’ll have capacity for more employment roles, plus space for partner orgs who specialize in vocational rehabilitation.
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Bastion needs volunteers to help power our new Veteran Wellness Center. Volunteers receive training from Bastion in their dedicated area of support. We’re currently seeking volunteers who can donate 4-6 hours of their time per week to help welcome new veterans into our improved space.
If you’re interested in volunteering a specific skill, service, or resource, we’d love to hear from you to learn how we can support you in serving our veterans. If you’re interested in partnering with Bastion to bring a veteran service, organization, or resource to our Veteran Wellness Center, contact Jackson Smith ([email protected]).
