Washington County grant will provide needed help to the helpers: veterans and first responders

A $100,000 grant from the Washington County Opioid Settlement Fund is helping strengthen a

haven in Forest Lake for veterans and first responders.

“We provide that space where it’s ok to not be ok,” said Russ Hanes, founder and executive

director of the Invisible Wounds Project, a nonprofit that works to improve the mental health

and wellness of those who have served or are serving in the military, police, fire, EMS, frontline

medical staff, corrections, dispatch, and their families. Hanes knows firsthand that “the helpers

need help.”

Hanes spent 17 years in public safety working as a police officer, corrections officer, and 911

dispatcher. In 2011, he was diagnosed with PTSD. “In 2015 I was suicidal, and I was drinking too

much, basically doing all the things you’re not supposed to be doing,” Hanes recalled. “I looked

around for help and couldn’t find any help. I got through it.”

In 2018, Hanes started the Invisible Wounds Project. Then in 2024, he opened the support

center in Forest Lake, which includes a large welcoming space with high-top tables and couches

for guests to gather, a gym, kitchen, woodworking space, art room, laser room, and immediate

access to therapists.

“In 2025, we served more than 2000 people and did more than 125 suicide crisis interventions,”

Hanes added. He said they are on pace to shatter those numbers in 2026, even tripling suicide

crisis interventions. But Hanes stressed the Invisible Wounds Project support center is about

more than just crisis. “This is a place where you can connect to those hobbies that are going to

keep you well.”

Hanes explained they saw firsthand how guests who worked with wood or in the art studio

were getting benefits. “We lucked into it,” Hanes added. “We didn’t realize scientific data was

backing it up. We just knew we saw great results from people working in the wood shop or

painting.”

Hanes cited the book “Your Brain on Art” by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, who explore

neuroaesthetics and how engaging in an art project helps calm an overactive brain to lessen

stress and anxiety and shift out of a "fight or flight" state. “When you do these healthy things, like painting, drawing, woodworking, working out or yoga for 45 minutes or longer, the

amygdala resets,” Hanes added.

Ruth Titus sees this process firsthand as a volunteer art instructor at Invisible Wounds Project.

“Today we’re doing a dandelion painting,” Titus explained while describing her art class offering

that afternoon. “One of the things I love about the puff (of the dandelion) is that it’s

rejuvenating. The puff, as it flies away, will start new life, and so for them, I’m hoping to convey the message that this isn’t just a dandelion puff that we’re doing; it’s representative of those

things in your life where maybe new beginnings need to happen.”

The grant from Washington County has allowed the Invisible Wounds Project to hire two more

staff positions to welcome new members and give even more help and hope to the helpers.

To see more stories of hope and learn about resources from the Invisible Wounds Project, go

to: https://iwproject.org/