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‘I Think It Was a Big Success’: DOM Opens Doors to Stakeholders from Across GLA

Four women standing and smiling at the camera.
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the Domiciliary (DOM) at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center held an open house event where Veterans took to the stage to share their stories of healing and recovery. Pictured from left: Veterans and DOM residents Darcinia Grovea and Simone Espinal; DOM psychologist Dr. Cecilia Costa and social worker Lindsey Ventura. Photo by Cara Deptula.
By Hannah Sentenac, Office of Strategic, Facility & Master Planning

On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center Domiciliary, better known as the DOM, held an open house to show firsthand how it’s a place for hope, healing and second chances.

The DOM at West LA VA Medical Center, known officially as a Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP), is the largest of its kind in the nation and houses roughly 200 Veterans as they undergo treatment for substance use and/or mental health issues.

Approximately 100 stakeholders from across greater Los Angeles came to campus to tour the DOM, hear directly from Veteran residents and interact with frontline staff.

The open house was held in the grassy quad between the DOM’s two buildings. Tents and tables were lined up with colorful posters designed by staff to showcase the different treatment tracks at the DOM. A stage was adorned with red, white and blue balloon bouquets. Staff members wore matching t-shirts made for the event. 

Several Veteran alumni of the DOM got up and told their compelling stories of recovery.

Army Veteran Paul Bailey talked about how his drug use ruined his military career, his marriage, and his relationship with his family. “I hated myself and I kind of hated the DOM the first time I came.” Bailey said. 

Now, he loves the place and people that helped him recover. “Nothing about the DOM has changed. I’ve changed,” he said. “I see now all the good that it did and how it got me back on my feet.”

Today, Bailey is a VA employee who works in housekeeping at Bldg. 500 on campus. “I have an apartment, I’ve been sober for 14 months now, but most of all I’m happy and I’m living a life where I feel like I have a purpose,” said Bailey.

The event had been in the works since August of 2023, said Dr. Deborah Owens, Clinical Psychologist and Chief at the DOM. It was designed to show stakeholders what it’s like for the Veterans who undergo care there. 

“I just wanted to be the biggest cheerleader and let people know that we have really exceptional offerings and hardworking staff. I’m so proud of our treatment teams. They provide comprehensive care and it’s outstanding. The Veteran is really at the center of everything they do.”

Each Veteran at the DOM is on one of nine tracks that include mental health, substance use, women’s only, detox and more. 

Lindsey Ventura, the team Social Worker for the women’s track, one of the largest of its kind in the country, said the event was “diverse, inclusive and empowering,” and offered a chance to show people the wide range of treatment modalities and teams offered at the DOM.

“It was a beautiful way to come together,” said Ventura. “It provided a platform to change people’s perspective of what the DOM is, and we used it as a bonding opportunity for our team.”

The women’s track team worked on their poster for months, said Ventura, and were thrilled to win an event-wide poster contest.

Air Force Veteran Simone Espinal, another Veteran attendee at the event, has been on the women’s track for about five months. She had nothing but positive things to say about her time there. 

“I came here with trauma, substance abuse issues, relationship issues, housing issues,” said Espinal, who is also community president for the women’s track. “Everything I need to recover has been here. The staff here, the medical attention, programming every day – there are just resources upon resources for us.” 

The event was full of gratitude and positivity for the work the DOM staff does to help Veterans recover. “This has been my safe haven while I build myself back to where I was,” said Espinal. 

Owens said the event accomplished its goal, and looks forward to doing it again in the future. 

“I think it was a big success,” she said. “There was a great turnout and I heard from our stakeholders that they loved hearing from patients and gaining a better understanding of how the DOM helps Veterans. It was a way to engage people and invite them into our house. And for any challenges we face, we can work together to resolve them and better serve the Veterans in our care.”

*Communications Specialist Cara Deptula, Office of Strategic, Facility & Master Planning, assisted with interviews for this article.