Kaine Visits Boulder Crest to Highlight Mental Health Support

By Valerie Cury

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine visited Boulder Crest Foundation on May 1, to celebrate $1 million in federal funding aimed at expanding mental wellness programs for veterans, military personnel and law enforcement officers.

The funding, secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 congressionally directed spending process, will support peer-led mental health and resilience training programs developed by the nonprofit, which was founded by veteran and businessman Ken Falke.

During a roundtable discussion at the organization’s Bluemont campus, Falke recounted how his work supporting wounded service members began during the early years of the Iraq War. A former Navy explosive ordnance disposal technician, Falke said one of his closest friends called him from Iraq after a soldier under his command lost both legs in combat.

“He called me from Iraq and said, ‘Hey, I can’t get back. Could you meet the soldier at the hospital?’” Falke said. “The guy was laying there … and no family in the room.”

Falke said he and his wife helped the soldier’s mother travel from Kentucky to Washington and eventually assisted numerous other military families facing similar situations. That effort led to the creation of what became the EOD Warrior Foundation before Falke later established Boulder Crest.

After selling his company in 2008, Falke and his wife moved to Loudoun County and donated part of their property to launch the retreat and recovery center.

“We started bringing families out to our house from the hospitals,” Falke said. “One night my wife said, ‘What do you think about donating pasture and building some cabins that are handicapped accessible for the families?’”

Since then, Boulder Crest has expanded from a small retreat center into a national organization with facilities in Virginia, Arizona and Texas, with a fourth campus under development in Wyoming.

The organization’s programs focus on what Falke described as “post-traumatic growth,” a concept emphasizing personal growth and renewed purpose after trauma rather than simply managing symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

“We believe the opposite of suicide is not prevention,” Falke said. “The opposite of suicide is to
live a great life.”

Kaine, who has advocated for expanded mental health services for veterans and first responders in the Senate, said the issue repeatedly emerges in conversations with police departments, firefighters and military leaders.

“If I’m talking to any law enforcement agency these days, I always ask about mental health
issues,” Kaine said. “As soon as I bring up anything in the mental health space, it kind of takes
over the conversation.”

Kaine referenced his experiences as governor during the Virginia Tech shooting and his work with military communities in Hampton Roads, where he said suicide and mental health struggles often stemmed from isolation and loss of purpose.

“This notion of having purpose and then having connection—those things just seem to be so important,” Kaine said. “And yet, are we doing enough to really invest in that and teach people those skills?”

Boulder Crest officials said the new funding will help expand programs specifically designed for law enforcement agencies throughout Virginia. The nonprofit currently serves thousands of veterans, first responders and family members annually through its “Warrior PATH” and “Struggle Well” programs.

Falke said the organization has already trained approximately 5,000 Virginia police officers through partnerships with departments and philanthropic organizations.

“Our whole philosophy was, if you’re going to most people come to Warrior PATH in crisis,” Falke said. “Most officers will say, ‘I wish I got this 20 years ago.’”