Page 60 - LIN_FEB_2026_web-file

Alpha House Is More Than Just a Building;

by Aaron Schultz
Warrior Homes of Collier housing or transportation to and from the recovery centers,” Martin
explained.
or many veterans, the transition from the military back to The need was great, Martin said. There were effectively two
civilian life can be devastating. Tens of thousands across the dozen veterans in the court’s program at their highwater mark.
F nation are currently homeless. Incarcerated veterans could not be moved to the court’s veteran
Some sources cite nearly 20% of combat vets turning to heavy treatment program without a physical address to go to, which was
drinking and drugs, driven by post-traumatic stress disorder tying up not only taxpayer dollars, but jail space needed for violent
(PTSD) and adjustment challenges, with many struggling to get offenders.
help due to the stigma of substance use and addiction. Rates are Simply put, Collier County needed beds for veterans.
much higher for specific subgroups – up to 70% for homeless What started as a conversation over breakfast became a lease
veterans. on a building just four months later. “It was a pivotal conversation,
This matter doesn’t limit itself to areas outside of Southwest and I don’t think either of us realized just how pivotal at the time,”
Florida and Collier County. That’s why Dale Mullin, founder of Martin said. For Mullin, the charge to fill the need had begun, and
Warrior Homes of Collier, Inc. stepped up six years ago to work Alpha House was born.
on a solution that began with a modest building in the quiet River Finding a Place
Park neighborhood in Naples, FL. According to the National Alliance of Recovery Residences
Seeing the Need (NARR), recovery homes can be grouped into one of four levels
Mullin, a Vietnam War U.S. Army veteran and retired business of homes, with the first type involving homes that are peer-run.
executive, first learned about the needs of local veterans from One study from the National Institutes of Health cites that many
Collier County Judge Janeice Martin. When Mullin met Martin in individuals who complete substance abuse treatment are released
2019, she oversaw the County’s diversion courts for mental health, back into the community without the social, psychological and
substance abuse and veterans – many of whom were struggling environmental support needed for long term recovery.
with PTSD and the adjustment to civilian life. Martin identified Holding fast to a housing-first model, Mullin’s philosophy
transitional housing as the number one barrier to rehabilitating remains that the path to turning at-risk veterans into productive
veterans in any of the diversion programs. members of society is much more than just putting a roof over
“A number of otherwise eligible veterans were not able to their heads. His team removes barriers to day-to-day survival
take advantage of what we offered because they couldn’t secure by providing food and clothing, transportation, connections to
60 www.LifeInNaples.net