Local nonprofit, Neptune Warrior receives national attention

Everyday veterans and first responders live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Neptune warrior, a nonprofit in Boise, gives those individuals the opportunity to scuba dive as therapy.

"As a veteran who also deals with PTSD and having friends who unfortunately have lost the battle to PTSD. It was really important for me to find something that not only was self healing, but something that was going to help our brothers and sisters that are out there that have to deal with this everyday. One of the mission changes we've had just last year is we've switched from just suicide prevention and what we now do is we really help our veterans thrive, we help them live from the heart and that's been a tremendous change for not just the type of veteran were bringing in," said Rob Anderson, Neptune Warrior.

Anderson says since the program started 24 months ago, it's has seen growth and received national attention.

"We had more veterans reach out to us. We had more veterans outside of Boise reach out to us, but what was really cool is we started picking up gear from places like Kentucky, Florida, California."

He says he's been invited to speak on national and regional platforms about PTSD and diving.

Anderson says what Neptune Warrior does in Boise will soon be part of the international standard for NAUI, the National Association for Underwater Instructors when working with divers with PTSD and will start in 2020.

"What we're doing is we're creating the standard that instructors will follow if they want to do a program like what we're doing and run it under the NAUI banner, that standard will be what they go through. That also means that Neptune Warrior is going to be the one is certifying and re-certifying on a biannual basis, these instructors and so we're super excited about that to take everything we've learned here what is not the dive destination of the world and take it out to some other places that have far more incredible opportunities."