Veterans Turning PTSD into PostTraumatic Growth with Boulder Crest’s Ken Falke

Ken Falke loves jumping out of airplanes. As a 21-year veteran bomb disposal specialist in the U.S. Navy, he’s a high risk, high pressure kind of guy. But when a jump went bad at age 27, he found himself out of commission and staring down a discharge. At that moment, Ken faced a decision he says all trauma survivors must make – he chose to be a victor, not a victim.

What seemed like the end, held in it the seed of a transformative mission Ken would launch with his wife in 2010 to help veterans, first responders and their families trade PTSD for Post Traumatic Growth. Through Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH program, survivors learn to reframe their trauma and become experts in their own healing. Boulder Crest programs are free for the over 100,000 people they’ve served, they use zero meds, and Warrior PATHH is 5-7 times more effective than traditional approaches to PTSD.

Hear why Ken Falke is determined to transform mental healthcare across America, and how his experience in military special ops makes him the perfect man for the job.

00:00 What Keeps People Alive

00:33 Kate Tucker introduces Ken Falke

01:01 Boulder Crest Foundation: Mission and Programs

03:05 A Walk Through Boulder Crest, Bluemont Virginia

04:27 Ken Falke’s Early Life and Military Influence

05:21 Reasons for Joining the Military 07:29 Enlisting with Navy and EOD

08:55 How Ceremonial Guard Teaches Emotional Intelligence

11:43 EOD the Most Fun Job in the World?!

13:34 Major Injury and Unconventional Recovery

19:46 Transition to Entrepreneurship

23:28 Founding Boulder Crest Foundation

25:36 Building America’s First Privately-Funded Veteran Wellness Center

27:33 Innovative Therapies and Veteran Mental Health

28:43 The Scale of Mental Health Issues

29:18 A Journey of Discovery and Strategy

33:46 Understanding PTSD and Post-Traumatic Growth

36:15 Warrior PATHH Program Overview

39:46 Anecdotal Evidence: Stories of Hope

44:59 A Veteran Message to Civilians: Listen and Build Community

46:17 Ken Falke’s Life Mission: Mental Health for All

46:52 Scaling the Boulder Crest Model

47:19 Healthy Police = Healthy Communities

48:20 How to Measure Impact

49:09 The Hardest Thing Ken Falke Has Ever Done

49:27 Reasons to Hope

49:28 Final Thoughts and Gratitude