Crossing the River of Fear: VLC Helps Connect Veterans to VA Care
Three years ago, John Mounts was fresh out of a six-year stint in the U.S. Navy and back home with his parents.
“My first few years in the Navy were fun,” said Mounts. “But by the time my enlistment was up, I just wanted out.”
Back at home, Mounts found himself in a situation many recently discharged Veterans find themselves in, struggling to find purpose in civilian life.
“In the Navy, you knew what was expected of you,” said Mounts. “There was a certain structure. When I got home, I just couldn’t seem to find my place.”
Eventually, Mounts’ parents were tired of him living at their house, and abruptly told him that he needed to move out.
“They basically told me, ‘Bye, you have to go,’ says Mounts. “And that’s how I ended up here.”
The “here” that Mounts refers to is the Veterans Life Center in Butner, North Carolina. Since its opening in 2020, the VLC helps young Veterans get back on their feet and reintegrated into civilian life. Veterans live at the facility free of charge where they receive many services from support counseling to vocational and educational help.
The center also helps connect residents to care and services at the Durham VA Health Care System (DVAHCS). Staff from different Durham VA services often visit the center to speak with Veterans. They discuss health care, whole health, and other benefits available to them at the Durham VA.
“We visit the center every Wednesday to chat with Veterans about our Whole Health mission and Suicide Prevention,” says Darryl Macaluso, a Durham VA Whole Health Partner, and U.S. Army Veteran. “The Veterans really seem to appreciate us coming out here and always ask us a lot of questions.”
After his discharge from the Navy, Mounts wasn’t sure if he was even eligible for VA care. The center connected him with Durham VA Mental Health services, and the classes have given Mounts a broader view of the services and benefits he earned.
“I always thought the VA was for old guys,” says Mounts. “But I’ve learned a lot speaking to the Durham VA staff who come to visit. School, service-connected compensation, you name it.”
The pathway to recovery at the VLC is straightforward. A Veteran can be referred to VLC, or they may simply come in and state they need assistance. Discharge is of no concern though potential residents must not have a severe physical or mental disability. The main theme of the center is getting Veterans to “take charge” of their recovery journey.
“What we do here is help Veterans build a bridge over their ‘River of Fear,’ says John Turner, VLC Founder, Executive Director and U.S. Army and Coast Guard Veteran. “A lot of Veterans struggle with their purpose and identity which keeps them on the self-sabotage side of the river. The first thing we work with them is on this, does diagnosis define you? Or do you define the diagnosis?”
This approach seems to be working. Almost all the residents have jobs or are going through some form of vocational training and education. In the relatively short time the Center has been open, it’s seen more than 20 Veterans move on and reintegrate successfully back into civilian life.
“I’m taking medical billing classes through the local community college,” says Mounts. “It’s a start and I know it’s something I can build on later.”
But job skills aren’t the only thing Mounts has built during his one-and-a-half years at the VLC. He’s found that he has much to be thankful for, a far cry from when he first walked through the center’s doors.
“I’ve met people here who were in a place that was a lot worse than mine,” says Mounts. “And I’ve watched how much they’ve accomplished. This place has given me so much. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be alive today if this place hadn’t taken me in.”