The Good Life – January-February 2016

Leeby said it takes a lot of courage for veterans to walk in
the door and ask for help, especially given how they were
trained. She said some of the veterans are in a lot of pain,
scared and confused, and the fact that they have a place like
the Vet Center provides them hope.
“That way, we can come up with some kind of a treatment
plan and therapy modality that will help them have a happier
life and learn how to cope with their symptoms,” she said.
Timothy Teig, team leader, said they consider any quality of
life improvements a big success, including a veteran having a
smile on his or her face or reporting back that they’re able to
go out in society a little easier.
“Working at the front, I see full-grown men and women come
unsure and nervous,” said Skye Carpenter, office manager.
They want to bolt out that door, and I don’t know what the
counselors do in their offices, but when [the veterans] come
out and say ‘Bye, see you next week!” it’s just a 180 with that
one initial assessment and that blows my mind.”
‘What happens at the Vet Center literally stays here’
While the Vet Center does fall under the Department of
Veterans Affairs, it is a completely separate entity from the
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Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The VAMC falls under
the healthcare system, and the Vet Center falls under the
Readjustment Counseling Service.
The two organizations partner together quite a bit for
referrals, but they remain separate programs. The Vet Center
staff members can access records from the VAMC, but the
VAMC staff members can’t access Vet Center records.
“What happens at the Vet Center literally stays here,” Karst
said.
Another aspect that sets the Vet Center apart from other
similar programs is that counselors will see active duty
veterans and their families. Also, there is no timeline for
services at the Vet Center, which are completely free for
clients.
Carpenter said another aspect that separates the Vet Center
from the VA or other places for active duty is that it cannot
come back to the veteran.
“So even if their commander calls and they’re still on active
duty, we can’t tell them if [the veteran has] been seen or
not,” she added. “The only way it can come back to the
military is if they tell somebody they were seen here.”