A veteran-owned healthcare company launches a new mental health program for military personnel and their families
BY OLIVIA HINES
February 2026
During Kris Barriteau’s 25-year service in the United States Army Special Forces as a Green Beret, many of the missions he led were overseas in war torn countries, like Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was stressful and often traumatic. But, he says, he lived in what he calls the “gaps of care.”
He explains, “I would’ve never gone for mental health treatment while on active duty. The last thing I would want was to be seen walking into the battalion mental health clinic or have my wife walking in.”
Barriteau says there’s a stigma in the military—that seeking help can be seen as weakness.
“The stigma, the barriers, the direct tie to one’s professional growth, progress and future opportunities, are all barriers to seeking care,” Barriteau says.
In fact, a study published in 2004 by The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that roughly 17% of people who served in Iraq have major depression or generalized anxiety, and 11.2% of combat veterans in Afghanistan have a similar diagnosis.
Once Barriteau left active duty and considered seeking mental health care, he says he found few resources available to military vets that guaranteed privacy.
“We want to be completely anonymous and not have people know we’re seeking mental health therapy,” he explains.
According to a 2024 study by the National Library for Health, roughly 41% of all veterans need mental health care, but only half are seeking help. The study also found that 37% of veterans with mental health needs were concerned seeking mental health care would directly harm their career and reputation.
Kris Barriteau is the Chief Executive Officer of Revolutionary Telehealth.
“There’s still a stigma that needs to be crushed,” Barriteau says.
As a result, Barriteau has created Revolutionary Telehealth, a Colorado-based company co-owned by veterans, and designed to give military personnel, veterans, and their families the help they need—without the stress or worry of being judged by peers and superiors.
Revolutionary Telehealth describes itself as “committed to delivering elite and compassionate care rooted in our Special Operations heritage.” Its team is composed of “highly trained Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marines, Air Force, Army, and Navy Medical Doctors, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Associates, Pharmacists, and a highly experienced team of civilian professionals who understand the intricacies of both military and civilian health challenges.”
“We understand the frustration of navigating systems that don’t fit our culture, our pace, or our confidentiality needs,” Barriteau says. “This is our way to give back by creating access that’s safe, respectful and mission driven.”
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Revolutionary Telehealth has just introduced a program, called Founders Launch, that provides one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist through the company’s partner BetterHelp, an online therapy platform.
“What we offer is a level of confidentially where you can get all the help that you need from the comfort of your living room and nobody needs to know,” Barriteau says.
“You can do it all from your kitchen, from the top of a mountain,” he continues. “I mean, I do it. I do it from the top of a mountain.” Barriteau, who lives near Colorado’s Rocky Mountain range, says if there’s a decent internet signal, people can access this mental health care from anywhere.
Shannon Darsow, the Chief Marketing Officer for Revolutionary Telehealth, says the program offers help that vets sometimes can’t even find through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA’s options, she explains, are often “eligibility-based, clinic-centered, or grant-funded, which can mean limited availability, wait times, or geographic constraints.”
Founders Launch, Darsow says, shows “what is possible when mental health support is designed to fit real life. It complements existing veteran services by filling the gap between wanting help and being able to get it now, reliably, and without barriers.”
Compared to the mental health needs of civilians, Darsow says military personnel and first responders often experience a “higher prevalence of operational stress exposure, cumulative trauma, identity/transition strain, sleep/hypervigilance patterns, and stronger career/reputation concerns around seeking help.”
According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 14% of male veterans and 24% of female veterans were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 2024. The VA cites combat situations and military sexual trauma as the main causes of PTSD in veterans.
“Because untreated or undertreated mental health challenges can impact relationships, sleep, work, physical health,” Darsow continues, “timely, high-quality care improves outcomes and lowers crisis risk.”
Barriteau says he also uses this talk therapy to work through issues unrelated to his military service, such as business stressors.
“I focus on the challenges of being a business leader,” Barriteau says. “Just talking to somebody can help a ton with day-to-day challenges with stress and poor sleep.”
The program costs a flat monthly rate of $150. Subscribers can add up to five family members for an additional $25 a month per person. “Those five loved ones are determined by the patients, not by us,” Barriteau says.
Sign-up for the program is available through Revolutionary Telehealth’s website. BetterHelp will then reach out to the patient directly within two to three business days and match them with a therapist based on their needs and preferences.
Revolutionary Telehealth doesn’t accept insurance or offer payment plans. Darsow explains that the company wants to keep pricing simple and predictable while reducing the delays, denials and administrative burden that comes along with health insurance.
“There is no better deal if you are in the market for what we are providing,” Barriteau explains. “The anonymity, discretion and pricing—we’re hoping we can help a ton of people, because everyone should be talking to somebody.”
Equally important, Darsow says, the program is basically “a way to say thank you and honor the service and sacrifice of those who protect and care for us all.”
Olivia Hines can be reached at oliviaannette2@gmail.com
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