Help us bring this rapidly deployable mental health emergency response to the people and places that need it most.
Natural Disasters - War Zones - First Responders
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The wildfire that burned down Lahaina on my home island of Maui inspired this initiative.
"I live on Maui with my extended family and I will never forget the fateful day of the fires and all the devastation and heartbreak that was left in its wake. In a matter of hours, the historic town of Lahaina was completely destroyed by the deadliest wildfire America has faced in over a century. I witnessed firsthand how our community and the nation quickly came together to help feed and provide shelter to the thousands of survivors who had lost everything. In stark contrast, very little was done to address the urgent mental health needs of all the first responders and fire survivors.
Having spent my career exploring novel ways to ease stress and anxiety, I immediately felt a deep calling to help our community overcome this tragedy. This culminated in the creation of the Maui Calm project and the construction of the world’s first deployable float facility.
Much of this larger vision was inspired by the amazing work of Chef José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen, who heroically cook fresh meals for disaster survivors all around the world in an effort to prevent starvation. What our society is missing is a World Kitchen for Mental Health, a rapid-response team of mental health professionals and innovative therapies that can be immediately deployed to the scene of a large-scale trauma in an effort to prevent PTSD before it takes root. Our deployable float facility is the cornerstone of this effort - an innovative turnkey solution that is scalable, affordable, and deployable to any location in the world. Now we are looking for partners and investors to help us bring this breakthrough innovation to all the people and places that need it most.
If you would like to help us make a big impact here, please connect with our team using the button below. Together we can create a new model for addressing real-world traumas and disasters from the moment they occur. Our goal is to become the world leader in PTSD prevention and with your help and support we can bring this novel innovation to every corner of the world!"
Dr. Justin Feinstein's research has been featured by:
How modern float facilities built in shipping containers can help prevent PTSD in the worst of times
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Scientifically-validated method for rapidly reducing symptoms of anxiety and PTSD.
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Floating is already being used by the US Navy Seals and the International Association of Firefighters Center of Excellence to prevent and treat PTSD
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Built as a turnkey solution that can be deployed directly to the people and places that need it the most.
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Extremely safe; does not require any drugs or medications.
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Naturally bypasses most cultural barriers.
PTSD doesn’t just destroy lives - it drains over $300 billion a year from the global economy through lost work, disability, and healthcare costs, a number that will only grow as disasters and conflicts around the world continue to escalate.
Now imagine having the opportunity to float right after fighting a wildfire or witnessing an unimaginable tragedy. With this new model of care, a first responder can immediately step into a mobile float facility to decompress their body and mind, and reset their nervous system. By giving our first responders the tools to heal right away, they can overcome the extreme stress of their job and continue to serve our communities.
Research studies have found that floatation therapy reflexively triggers a state of deep relaxation throughout the body and brain, allowing an overstimulated and shocked nervous system to return to equilibrium. Circulating cortisol levels are reduced, blood pressure drops by 10 to 15 points, muscle tension dissipates, respiration slows, high-frequency heart rate variability improves, and brain activity lowers all the way down to 1-2 cycles a second. In the aftermath of a traumatic event, floatation therapy can help reset the nervous system, shifting it from a state of hyperarousal back to homeostasis.
Maui Calm
The world’s first deployable float facility
The emergency float pools we built for the people of Maui are NOT the small enclosed tanks that you may have heard of in the past. In fact, what we built is the opposite - large open-air pools for complete peace of mind. Each private room has its own shower (for rinsing off) and a powerful disinfection system for cleaning and sanitizing the pool after each use. Each shipping container contains three spacious open pools providing the capacity to float over 1000 people each month.
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