For The Republic
A new peer support program for military veterans is starting in Jennings County.
North Vernon Vet-to-Vet is intended as a way for veterans to help each other recover from mental and emotional problems they experience related to their military service.
“Veterans can talk to each other about things in a way they can’t talk to other people about. Only veterans are at the meetings, and they can talk to each other about things they can’t even explain to their doctors. That is why this program is working,” said Willie Steele, the program’s facilitator and a veteran who experienced combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
A grand opening for North Vernon Vet-to-Vet is planned for 3 p.m. Friday in Elsner Hll at the Education and Training Center, 1200 W. O&M Ave. in North Vernon.
“The Vet-to-Vet program is new here, but our first group has already formed and is moving forward,” Steele said.
“The grand opening celebration will be a good opportunity for people to come in and get to know us and what we do,” he added.
Vet-to-Vet was first established by Moe Armstrong to help Vietnam veterans suffering from combat stress symptoms. The program evolved into its current name and structure in 2002 in West Haven Connecticut, and then spread nationally.
The program first started for combat-related issues, but has evolved to include other service related issues such as non-combat PTSD, psychiatric problems, substance abuse and other issues.
The Vet-to-Vet program is not a government or Veterans Administration (VA) program.
“The VA trains volunteers and facilitators but that is all,” Steele said.
Vet-to-Vet has no paid staff, no funded facilities and does not receive government funding of any kind. The program is dependent on volunteers and donations, Steele said.
The office for North Vernon Vet-to-Vet is located in the Education and Training Center, next to the Jennings County Veterans Service Office.
Steele said the two organizations can help one another by sending veterans to each other if they could use those services.
