Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Counseling & Human Services

Committee Director

Mark C. Rehfuss

Committee Member

Lauren B. Robins

Committee Member

Seyongryeong Yu

Abstract

Since the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainians have faced significant social and public health challenges, particularly among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF), including disability, traumatic stress, and barriers to mental health care (Kostenko et al., 2024; Krasnodemska et al., 2023; O’Grady & Galouchka, 2023). Retreat based programs grounded in shared military identity may offer an accessible form of support (Barrett & Currin, 2024). Mountain Seed Foundation’s (MSF) Healing Base Camp (HBC) was developed to promote healing and resilience among Ukrainian SMVF (Mountain Seed Foundation, n.d.).

This qualitative dissertation used a single-case study design (Yin, 2018) to examine the interdisciplinary and international team that facilitated the first HBC program for Ukrainian SMVF in August 2024. Data included semi-structured interviews with 12 team members, demographic questionnaires, organizational artifacts, and field notes. Interview data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021).

Four themes emerged: (a) leadership influence on team culture, (b) connection and relationship-building, (c) mobilization around a shared mission, and (d) perceived program impact. Findings suggest that leadership, cohesion, and shared mission were central to implementation, while the retreat’s experiential and strengths-based design fostered hope, meaning, and connection. Implications include the need for further evaluation of retreat-based programs, inclusion of participant perspectives, and examination of how organizational culture shapes outcomes.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.25777/pcxz-8g10

ISBN

9798197809247

ORCID

0009-0001-8214-7182

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