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Department of Veterans Affairs
Tacoma Vet Center
4916 Center Street, Suite E
Tacoma, Washington, 98409 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2009
Contact: Franklin Young, Readjustment Counseling Technician
253-565-7038
franklin.young.va.gov
VA Deploys Mobile Counseling Center to Puget Sound Area
WASHINGTON – The Puget Sound's new mobile counseling center for the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vet Center program was put into operation last week at the Bremerton 61st Annual Armed Forces Day Parade. The vehicle is assigned to the Tacoma Vet Center, enabling the center to improve access to counseling by bringing services closer to veterans.
The 38-foot motor coach has space for confidential counseling and will transport Vet Center counselors and outreach staff to events and activities to reach veterans in broad geographic areas within Western Washington. The Mobile Vet Center (MVC) will supplement the VA's 232 Vet Centers.
The deployment of this mobile facility is just one part of the VA’s push to reach rural and underserved veterans with the highest quality readjustment counseling available. The Vet Center has developed an outreach plan for the use of the vehicle throughout Western Washington. This vehicle is being used to provide outreach and direct readjustment counseling at active-duty, reserve and National Guard activities, including pre/post-deployment health reassessments for combat service members.
The vehicle is also being used to visit events typically staffed by Vet Center personnel, including homeless "stand downs," veteran community events, county fairs and unit reunions at sites ranging from Native American reservations to colleges.
The normal counseling layout can be converted to support emergency medical missions, such as hurricanes and other natural disasters as needed.
Vet Centers, operated by VA's Readjustment Counseling Service, provide non-medical readjustment counseling in easily accessible, consumer-oriented facilities, addressing the social and economic dimensions of post-war needs. This includes psychological counseling for traumatic military-related experiences and family counseling when needed for the veteran’s readjustment. The Vet Center also provides counseling for veterans who experienced military related sexual trauma.
"Keeping
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