GUIDE Helps Improve Overall Wellness and Prevent Suicides Among Military and First Responders
(Scranton, PA) A new self-help app based in Scranton, Pennsylvania has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. for the app’s contribution to the department’s 10-year strategy to end Veteran suicides. The app, called GUIDE, is a digital platform designed to help its users resolve past trauma, thrive in their present life, and build a hopeful future.
GUIDE is now a finalist in the VA’s Mission Daybreak Challenge, a national competition where the department is seeking expertise from the private-sector, nonprofits, and government collaborators to prevent suicides suicide through a comprehensive, public health approach.
“We developed GUIDE because we realize every human being meets challenges along their journey through life,” said GUIDE founder Patrick Sandone. “Our app provides daily help and support to those we refer to as ‘Warriors,’ the dedicated individuals who serve society as Police, Firefighters, EMS, and Military Professionals and who are facing those life challenges.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs received more than 1,400 applications as part of its Mission Daybreak Challenge, GUIDE was selected among the Top 30 and received an award of $250,000.
“We couldn’t be more excited or more grateful for this national recognition for the hard work our entire staff has put into the development of this app that helps those facing serious life challenges,” said Sandone. “We are truly honored to be able to move onto the next phase of the VA’s Mission Daybreak Challenge.”
The next step in the Daybreak Challenge is for the staff of GUIDE to head to Washington D.C. for a Demo Day on November 4, 2022. There, they will present a honed solution demonstrating how the GUIDE app can help the VA achieve its mission to end veteran suicides within 10 years. The Demo Day presentations by the finalists will result in two first-place winners who will each receive $3 million, three second-place winners who will each receive $1 million, and five third-place winners who will each receive $500,000.
GUIDE is headquartered in the IGNITE building in downtown Scranton (201 Lackawanna Ave., Suite 223, Scranton, PA, 18503.) The app is a digital platform that provides daily self-help exercises to help military professionals and first responders master their lives, unleash their highest potential, and thrive in any environment. Along with the daily exercises GUIDE also provides each user with a network of support from peers facing the same or similar life challenges.
“The constant support provided by GUIDE was inspired by teachings normally only available to top executives and professional athletes,” said Sandone. “When you combine that with a peer support community it helps make it easier for our ‘Warriors’ to get everything they want out of life,” he added.
GUIDE was designed to provide new solutions to proactively reduce suffering, improve mental well-being, chart new directions in life, learn new skills, develop cross-cultural competency, and alleviate suicide risk factors through a Whole Health approach. Unlike other solutions that are expensive, ineffective, hard to access, expose personal identity, and are not Veteran-friendly, GUIDE addresses life factors that could escalate to suicide—emotional pain, stress, anger, loneliness, and negative self-esteem—in an app that is cost-effective, anonymous, and welcoming.
Along with the recent national recognition in the VA’s Mission Daybreak Challenge, GUIDE’s Achievements to Date include:
- Raising nearly $2 million of capital
- Building an App on Apple and Google Stores
- Conducting 4 successful field tests
- Selected for Venture Idol (PA State start-up competition)
- Signing-up numerous pilot partners
- Building out a world-class team and advisors
GUIDE is led by a team of proven entrepreneurs and human development leaders, including Founder and CEO, Patrick Sandone; Chief Consciousness Officer, Tim Kelley; Chief Technology Officer, Karim Varela; Chief Global Sales Executive, Jack Kuchak; Head of Product, Terrell McCasland, and Corporate Business Manager, Andy Roke.
More information about the Guide app and its development in Scranton, PA. can be found at the organization’s website theguideapp.com. For more information on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Mission Daybreak Challenge, go to missiondaybreak.net
Any Veteran having thoughts of suicide or concerned about one can contact the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential 24/7 support:
- Dial 988 then press 1
- Text to 838255
- Chat Online
MEDIA ADVISORY: Any member of the media seeking an interview with GUIDE Founder and CEO, Patrick Sandone or looking to arrange a visit to GUIDE’S headquarters in the IGNITE building in downtown Scranton (201 Lackawanna Ave., Suite 223, Scranton, PA, 18503), can contact Andy Roke, Business Manager at (570) 762-0619 or at aroke@theguideapp.com.