The HEROES Program: Mental Health Care for Veterans & First Responders
Specialized, trauma-informed treatment for military members, veterans, police, firefighters, and EMS, built to understand what you carry.
- Joint Commission Accredited
- PA DHS Licensed
- VA Community Care Network Provider
Licensed, Accredited & Certified
Joint Commission
Accredited
Pennsylvania Licensed
PA DHS approved facility
LegitScript
Certified
Content reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Simon, MD, Medical Director & Psychiatrist
Last reviewed: 2026-07-09
What Is The HEROES Program?
The HEROES Program is Pennsylvania Behavioral Health Center's dedicated track for military members, veterans, and emergency and public safety professionals, including police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. We recognize that the stress and trauma encountered in service and high-intensity roles often lead to mental health challenges, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, that deserve care built specifically around those experiences.
Treatment includes evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), geared toward managing PTSD and other mental health concerns common among veterans and first responders. Our goal is to equip you with coping strategies and resilience tools that carry into both your professional role and personal life. Located in Phoenixville, we provide care through The HEROES Program to individuals throughout Chester County and the greater Philadelphia region, including Pottstown, Malvern, Norristown, and surrounding communities.
Continuum of Care
Inpatient
24/7 care
Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
Full-day, 5x/week
Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
3 hrs/session, several days/week
Outpatient
Weekly sessions
PHP & IOP
levels of care
VA Community Care Network
Evidence-based
trauma therapies
telehealth available
HEROES offers both PHP and IOP levels of care.
Who The HEROES Program Serves
This program is built for those who serve and protect, often at a cost that isn't always visible to the people around them.
Active Duty & Veterans
Whether you're transitioning out of service or years removed from it, service-related trauma doesn't follow a timeline. We treat PTSD, depression, and anxiety connected to military experience at any stage.
Police Officers
Repeated exposure to critical incidents takes a cumulative toll that's rarely addressed until it becomes unmanageable. We help you process it before it does.
Firefighters
From structure fires to mass casualty events, the trauma firefighters carry is real and treatable, even if the culture around asking for help hasn't always made that easy.
EMTs & Paramedics
Constant exposure to trauma, death, and high-stakes decisions builds up. We offer a space built specifically for what that experience actually involves.
If you have a co-occurring substance use concern, you can still be admitted to our primary mental health program, we coordinate additional support through our trusted treatment network as needed.
PHP & IOP for Veterans and First Responders
Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
A structured, full-day program bridging the gap between inpatient care and traditional outpatient therapy. Includes individual therapy, group sessions, and skill-building workshops focused on the unique stressors service members and first responders face.
Explore PHPIntensive Outpatient (IOP)
A flexible option for those who need focused treatment while maintaining work and daily responsibilities, with scheduling built around front-line and shift-based schedules.
Explore IOPTrauma Treatment Built for Frontline Experience
Trauma doesn't always show up the way people expect. For veterans and first responders, it can look like hypervigilance that never turns off, difficulty connecting with family, or a sense of being fundamentally changed by what you've witnessed. Traditional talk therapy alone doesn't always reach that, which is why our approach is built specifically around trauma-focused, evidence-based modalities.
Our clinical team uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and other evidence-based approaches to address the root causes of trauma-related conditions, not just manage symptoms on the surface. These modalities are specifically designed to help the brain process traumatic memories so they lose their grip on your day-to-day life.
We create a safe, judgment-free space for police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and military personnel to process what they've carried, often for years, and begin building toward genuine post-traumatic growth, not just symptom management.
Survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) receive specialized, trauma-informed care with provider-gender accommodations where possible.
Why Choose The HEROES Program
Built for Your Experience
Treatment designed around the specific stressors of military and public safety service, not generic mental health care.
Evidence-Based Trauma Therapies
CBT, DBT, and EMDR delivered by clinicians trained in trauma-focused, service-specific care.
VA Community Care Network Provider
We work directly within the VA system, so your benefits go further.
Confidential, Judgment-Free Care
A space built to understand what you've carried, without asking you to explain why it matters.
One team, one plan
Your HEROES care is delivered by a coordinated team led by Dr. Jeffrey Simon, MD, Medical Director & Psychiatrist, working with clinicians trained in trauma-focused therapies including CBT, DBT, and EMDR, plus case management that connects you to housing and support partners when needed.
Meet your care teamSupportive Housing for Veterans & First Responders in Recovery
For veterans and first responders who need a structured living environment during or after treatment, we partner with Phoenix Recovery Project, a PARR-certified recovery housing provider serving Chester County, Philadelphia, and South Jersey, including Heroes House, a dedicated veterans recovery residence in Center City Philadelphia. This supportive housing model offers structure, peer community, and continued accountability as you transition from intensive treatment toward independent living.
Learn more about Phoenix Recovery ProjectWhat Research Shows About Treating PTSD in Veterans & First Responders
A systematic review of psychological interventions for first responders found significant reductions in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms, with CBT-based, clinician-delivered treatments producing the strongest results.
Source: National Institutes of Health / PubMed Central
VA research indicates nearly 1 in 4 veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and use VA care experience PTSD, and identifies Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and trauma-focused CBT as primary evidence-based treatments.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Check Your Coverage in Minutes
We accept most major insurance carriers and are a VA Community Care Network provider.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- UnitedHealthcare/Optum
- Geisinger
- Aetna
- Amerihealth
- and more
Frequently Asked Questions About The HEROES Program
Content reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Simon, MD, Medical Director & Psychiatrist
Last reviewed: 2026-07-09
You served. Now let us serve you.
Speak with an admissions specialist today. Free, confidential, and no obligation.
Content reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Simon, MD, Medical Director & Psychiatrist | Last reviewed: 2026-07-09