The Virtus Project™ is the AWA’s research and innovation initiative — dedicated to understanding moral injury, measuring what heals, and proving that faith and science are stronger together. Every AWA program feeds it. Every warrior benefits from it.

Partner with the Virtus Project™See Our Impact

56 CLINICAL

9 RECOVERY

8 RETREATS

4 FAITH-BASED

1 RESEARCH

every dot, a vetted partner — organized by the care they provide

3,400+

Heroes served

93%

Report greater resilience

132+

Peer Support Circles™

THE UNSEEN CRISIS

Moral injury is real.

So is healing.

Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day. More first responders die by suicide than in the line of duty. Nearly half of post-9/11 veterans carry moral injury — a wound of the soul that traditional care too often fails to see, let alone measure. The Virtus Project™ exists to change that: to make the invisible measurable, and the measurable healable — to combat moral injury and build moral health.

veterans lost to suicide every day

46%

of post-9/11 veterans suffer moral injury

37%

of Fire & EMS professionals have contemplated suicide

More first responders die by suicide than in the line of duty.

OUR MODEL

How Virtus

works

A continuous research loop: every program strengthens the evidence, and the evidence strengthens every program.

N°. 01

GATHER

N°. 02

STUDY & COLLABORATE

N°. 03

IMPROVE & INNOVATE

evidence in, better care out

N°. 01

Gather

Data and assessments flow in from every AWA initiative — Warrior’s Refuge™, the R3 Program™, Peer Support Circles™ — capturing real outcomes from real warriors, confidentially and with consent.

N°. 02

Study & Collaborate

Alongside clinical partners and behavioral scientists — including research partner Vāsanā — we study what the data reveals about moral injury, resilience, and recovery.

N°. 03

Improve & Innovate

Evidence feeds back into the programs themselves — refining retreats, sharpening curricula, shaping new resources — so the care keeps getting more effective.

Faith-fueled and impact driven — by design.

FAITH + SCIENCE

We don’t trade one

for the other

THE OVERLAP IS MORAL HEALTH

Faith

Christ-centered principles anchor everything the AWA does. Healing moral injury is soul work — forgiveness, purpose, community — and no dataset replaces that.

Science

Rigor keeps the work honest. Validated assessments, measured outcomes, and clinical collaboration ensure that what we believe is working actually is.

Where faith meets science, warriors don’t just survive — they build moral health and flourish.

MEASURING WHAT MATTERS

Outcomes you can

stand behind

Every Warrior’s Refuge™ participant completes two validated assessments that turn wellbeing into something we can see, track, and strengthen. Results stay confidential to the warrior; in aggregate, they advance the Virtus Project’s understanding of moral injury and what drives lasting recovery.

Virtus Moral Injury Indicator™

A personal wellbeing baseline — emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational health in one clear picture.

Capability Indicator

Strengths and capacity over time — where resilience is growing, and where support matters most.

TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH PARTNER

Vāsanā —

the bridge to lifelong growth

The AWA is proud to partner with Vāsanā as the official technology partner for Warrior’s Refuge™ and the R3 Program™ — and as research partner for the Virtus Project™. Together, we’re building a bridge between program participation and lifelong growth: personalized resources, assessments, and ongoing engagement through the AWA Alumni Wellness Portal.

WARRIOR’S REFUGE™

where the journey begins

ALUMNI WELLNESS PORTAL

assessments + resources

THE PARTNER NETWORK

vetted care close to home

WHEREVER HOME IS

care that continues

The care you began at Warrior’s Refuge™ continues — wherever home is.

Explore the Alumni Wellness Portal

Portal access begins with your application to Warrior’s Refuge™.

WARRIOR’S REFUGE™

where the journey begins

ALUMNI WELLNESS PORTAL

assessments + resources

THE PARTNER NETWORK

vetted care close to home

wherever home is

THE VIRTUS PARTNER NETWORK

Care that meets you

where you are

Beyond the AWA’s own programs stands a vetted, nationwide network of faith-based, clinical, and recovery partners — every one reviewed by the AWA, so warriors and their families can find trusted care close to home.

Explore the full directory — vetted partners across five categories, from faith-based retreats to clinical care.

Browse the Partner Network

PARTNER WITH US

Join the work —

faith and science, together

WARRIOR’S REFUGE™

R3 PROGRAM™

PEER SUPPORT CIRCLES™

evidence-based care — back to every program

RESEARCHERS & CLINICIANS

Bring your practice, program, or research to the network advancing moral health for America’s warriors.

Become a Virtus Partner

CITIES & AGENCIES

Bring peer-led, faith-based resilience to your police, fire, and EMS teams.

Explore the R3 Program™

R3 PROGRAM™

WARRIOR’S REFUGE™

PEER SUPPORT CIRCLES™

THE VIRTUS PROJECT™

the research engine

R3 PROGRAM™

WARRIOR’S REFUGE™

PEER SUPPORT CIRCLES™

THE VIRTUS PROJECT™

the research engine

Where faith

Moral injury is real.

How Virtus

We don’t trade one

Measured,

Outcomes you can

Vāsanā —

Care that meets you

Join the work —