About US

• OUR PURPOSE

FORTE Foundation is a non-profit established in 2001 by Bobby E. Smith, PhD, a former Louisiana State Trooper who was shot and blinded in the line of duty. FORTE was founded with the mission to serve first responders by providing psychological services to officers and their families.Our Values

• OUR VALUES

We believe in a holistic approach to overall health which includes mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well being.

• OUR GOALS

The FORTE Foundation plans to aid responders by opening Badges Counseling Center in Alexandria, Louisiana so that these responders may have a place to be heard and be helped. BADGES will be an outpatient center that offers peer-support counseling to a community of first responders who are at a higher risk of divorce, addiction, insomnia, stress, and other physical, mental, and emotional losses.

We aim to open BADGES in 2017. Please check our Facebook page or BADGES website for updates as we progress towards this goal.

BOBBY & JANIE SMITH

Bobby Smith was a Louisiana State Trooper who, in 1986, was shot in the face and blinded by a violent offender. Life for him would never be the same. The years following this trauma were filled with daily struggles adjusting to blindness, fears about the future, and financial hardships. Bobby lost not only his eyesight but also his career, self-confidence, indpendence and marriage. In the years following his trauma he met and married Janie D Smith, LPC. In 1997, Bobby’s daughter, Kim, was tragically killed in a car crash. Later in 2010, he and Janie’s son, Brad, also died at the age of 20. The shooting, blindness and loss of his children all made Bobby realize his dream. He and Janie desired to help others who were also going through trials of life.
There has never been a more dangerous time for emergency responders. Suicide is the leading cause of death among a group who often do not seek counseling for a variety of reasons. The Smiths believe there should be a safe place for these men and women In doing so, it would save lives and help this group be the best at their professions. BADGES Counseling Center will be a place where these great and needy public servants can be heard and be helped with facing challenges. If you would like to help by making a donation or by becoming a partner, please contact FORTE Foundation by phone, mail, e-mail or at our website.