VIDEO: A Minnesota nonprofit is working to break down barriers surrounding mental health and start important conversations among those working the frontline of public safety.
"I don't want to ever have anybody feel like they're stuck," Invisible Wounds Project Founder and Executive Founder Russ Hanes said.
Hanes was once there himself.
"I was 17 years a police officer, 911 dispatcher and a corrections officer. I was at my lowest point," Hanes said. "Struggling with PTSD, suicidal ideation. I couldn't find anybody — I couldn't find anybody because I wasn't a vet."
It's why Hanes founded The Invisible Wounds Project in 2018. The nonprofit is dedicated to serving Minnesota's military, first responders, frontline medical staff, dispatch and more. The goal is to open up the conversation surrounding mental health — the wounds you can't see — and get them help.