Saratoga Veterans Peer to Peer Program (Dwyer) and the YMCA Wellness Membership

Saratoga County has run the Saratoga Veterans Peer to Peer Program, part of the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program, since 2013, pairing veterans to ease PTSD and re-acclimation, and in 2026 adds a subsidised Saratoga Regional YMCA health and wellness membership for county veterans.

Also called: Dwyer, peer support, PTSD, Peer to Peer, veteranspeertopeer.org, YMCA, Erin Cassidy, health and wellness, suicide prevention.

For: Veteran or service member.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Saratoga County, NYCounty

The Saratoga Veterans Peer to Peer Program pairs local veterans who have reintegrated to civilian life with fellow veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder or other re-acclimation challenges. It has run since 2013 and is part of the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program for Veterans; see the New York entry on the Dwyer programme. The coordinator is Erin Cassidy, 518-605-2899, and the programme is described at veteranspeertopeer.org. Funding. Resolution 281 of October 21, 2025 accepted $9,322 of additional New York State Office of Mental Health aid, a cost-of-living adjustment and a targeted inflationary increase, for the programme. The county's 2026-2028 award to the Prevention Council of Saratoga County funds a community outreach certified recovery peer advocate who takes referrals from both the Sheriff's Second Chance Program and the Veterans' Peer-to-Peer Program. 2026 Health and Wellness Initiative. With the Saratoga Regional YMCA, a veteran membership and wellness programme for participants of the Peer Connection Program: the veteran must be a county resident with a DD-214, be able to use any Saratoga Regional YMCA at least three times a week, and agree to a monthly meeting at the Saratoga Springs branch. The YMCA pays half the membership cost, the programme a quarter and the veteran the last quarter; the membership runs to December 31, 2026. Applications go through the financial assistance application and an approval letter. The county frames the programme around physical health as a protective factor in suicide prevention.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Saratoga Veterans Peer to Peer Program (Dwyer) and the YMCA Wellness Membership
Gate	Rule
A county veteran with a DD-214, for the YMCA membership	The membership asks the veteran to pay a quarter of the cost. No rating is needed.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-06.

What changed then:

First published.

Request an update

Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.

Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.