The Good Life – January-February 2016

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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 32 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.”
"It’s really beneficial for the newer veterans to see the older veterans, and it’s actually helpful for them to see THERE’S STILL LIFE AND THERE’S STILL HOPE." — Kari Appletoft ‘We’re not going to turn anybody away’ The Vet Center takes walk-ins, or veterans can call to schedule an appointment. The staff members aim to keep the environment informal, inviting and not intimidating to veterans or their families. Counselor Kari Appletoft said the Vet Center provides free services to combat veterans from all eras including Korea, World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan and more. “It’s really beneficial for the newer veterans to see the older veterans, and it’s actually helpful for them to see there’s still life and there’s still hope,” she said. Outreach is another important aspect of the Vet Center. Christy 33
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The Good Life – January-February 2016

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