WHY DONATE
Help bring drum therapy to the org that need it.
D.A.D. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This fund is aimed at one goal: getting Drum Therapy® in front of more veterans, mental health populations, and local communities — through organizations like VA facilities, mental health treatment centers, YMCAs, and JCCs.
WHO BENEFITS FROM YOU DONATION
Veterans and Mental Health Organizations
D.A.D. already has real experience here: the U.S. Pentagon has called on founder Pat Gesualdo to train and certify U.S. military health professionals in Drum Therapy® to help troops manage PTSD. A published qualitative study on group drumming therapy with combat veterans found participants reported reduced isolation, avoidance, and anger, and a stronger sense of connection within the group.
That work has mostly happened through individual military health professionals trained by D.A.D. — not through standing relationships with VA facilities or mental health treatment centers themselves. This fund exists to change that: to pay for the outreach, training, and travel it takes to bring Drum Therapy® into those organizations directly, rather than waiting for them to find D.A.D. first.
Building on Real Community Partnerships
D.A.D. already has a track record with community organizations — JCCs have added D.A.D. to their special needs curriculum, a real, existing partnership, not an aspiration. This fund extends that same model to more JCCs, YMCAs, and similar community and recreation centers that don't yet have the program, using the JCC relationship as proof the model works outside a clinical setting.
What this fund pays for
Introducing and demonstrating Drum Therapy® to VA facilities, mental health treatment centers, and veteran support organizations
Expanding into more YMCAs, JCCs, and community or recreation centers beyond D.A.D.'s current partnerships
Training sessions for staff at organizations willing to bring the program in
Equipment and materials needed to run sessions on-site
Travel and coordination costs for reaching organizations outside D.A.D.'s current NY/NJ base
$100
Materials for one introductory session at a new organization
$500
Covers travel and setup to bring D.A.D. to a new site
$795
Trains one staff member on-site to get certified with Drum Therapy Association
What This Looks Like in Practice
D.A.D. already has a working model with community organizations like JCCs — this fund extends that model to more YMCAs and JCCs, and applies the same approach to VA facilities and mental health treatment centers, where D.A.D. doesn't yet have standing partnerships.
Weeks 1–2
Introduction & Assessment
Pat Gesualdo or a Certified Drum Therapist visits the facility for an initial consultation and demonstration session — the same first step D.A.D. already uses with certification candidates. Clinical staff see the method firsthand and decide whether it fits their patient population and treatment goals.
Weeks 3–6
Staff Training
One or more staff members (occupational therapists, recreation therapists, counselors) go through D.A.D.'s training to be certified by the Drum Therapy Association, with the official manual, live instruction, and a practical test — so the facility builds in-house capability instead of depending on an outside visitor long-term.
Ongoing
Program Integration
Regular group sessions get built into the treatment schedule, typically weekly or biweekly, in a common room or activity space with basic equipment. The realistic goal — based on the one published study behind this method in a clinical population, a small qualitative study of combat veterans with PTSD — is a group format aimed at things like reduced isolation, lower avoidance behavior, and stronger group connectedness, not a replacement for clinical treatment.
Outcomes
Tracking & Continuation
Facility staff track basic engagement — attendance, participation, staff-reported changes in mood or group cohesion. If it's working, the facility budgets to continue independently; where donor funding made the placement possible, D.A.D. reports back on what that funding enabled.
A single facility placement — travel/setup plus one staff certification — realistically runs in the $1,300–$1,500 range to reach self-sufficiency, roughly the $500 and $795 tiers above combined.
