Kalispell Vet Center celebrates 40 years of service

For years, Navy veteran Joseph Robinson called an aircraft carrier home.

He likened life on the water to “living in a tin can,” and in addition to the cramped quarters, he worked lengthy shifts on deck, regularly pulling 18- to 22-hour days.

But there was structure, a mission and an inherent cultural brotherhood that made it all worthwhile.

“I was part of the first battle group out. Four days after 9/11 hit, we were off the coast of Pakistan — we saw nothing but ocean and planes and bombs,” Robinson recalled. “There were some long days but if I could go back in, I’d go back in a hurry.”

Like many veterans, Robinson found the transition back to the civilian world challenging. He missed the camaraderie and routine he’d grown accustomed to after five and a half years in the Navy.

Upon returning home, he grew anxious, depressed and even started isolating himself from the outside world, that is, until he discovered the Kalispell Vet Center.

“Literally everybody’s become a family in a way,” Robinson said. “For one of my [therapy] groups, I can depend on pretty much everybody in there. They can pick up the phone at 2 o’clock in the morning and say,’ hey what’s wrong?’ They’d either be there or get you help.”

Vet Centers were founded to help veterans like Robinson ease back into the civilian world. They were first established by Congress in 1979 with the aim of reaching Vietnam veterans who weren’t accessing VA services as frequently as their predecessors and were struggling with integration into civilian life. In June, the Kalispell center celebrated 40 years of service to local veterans. Over the past four decades the center has expanded its programming and eligibility qualifications to serve veterans from other wars, along with active duty personnel and families of fallen service members.

“There’s so many ways that we’ve evolved, but we’ve still stayed grounded in the main mission of the vet center and that’s to serve the people who served, said Director Christina Ryan. “We’ve kept the promise to make sure that they’re taken care of.”

The center offers an array of readjustment services including individual and group therapy, outreach and referrals. The center currently has 10 different therapy groups focusing on issues ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to military sexual trauma, Ryan said.

“Talking about it works big-time in the healing process — that’s what I’ve found so far,” said Robinson, who participates in multiple therapy programs at the center. “Once you talk about it you don’t have to stir about it. This is what happened, this is what we can do to improve.”

He’s also found healing through the recreational outings organized by the center.

“We want them to find different social activities that they can re-engage in the community,” Outreach Specialist Adam Jones said. “Things like golf, where they can not be surrounded by tons of people, but still be out and interacting with the community with other veterans and away from their homes.”

The recreational opportunities vary seasonally and include activities such as rafting, fly tying, golf and skiing.

Ryan said many of the vets who come to the center suffer from PTSD, anxiety or are dealing with relationship issues. As of late July, the center had 190 open cases and has provided 5,321 visits since the start of the fiscal year in October 2018.

Per capita, Montana has one of the highest veteran populations in the country, with 13.32% of residents having served in the Armed Forces, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. In Flathead County that number is slightly lower at 11.5 percent, representing 8,600 local veterans.

Ryan hopes to reach a larger chunk of that population.

“There’s veterans probably within a couple blocks of this vet center and we’re not seeing them. I get emotional,” she said, fighting back tears, “because are they struggling and are they down the street? I want those people to be the people who walk through the door.”

In addition to the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental-health issues, Jones explained that many veterans don’t take advantage of the center’s programs because they don’t feel deserving.

“That’s one of the reasons I think holds a lot of veterans back from coming to see us or any resource from the VA is, ‘I don’t deserve it.’ I hear it all the time in outreach — ‘there’s other people that need it worse than I do,’” Jones said. “They’re your benefits, You’ve earned them. Let me help you get those. I will bend over backwards to help a veteran — all of us will. It doesn’t matter what it takes.”

Others have concerns about privacy, but Jones said that while the center is funded by the VA, all records are kept separate.

“Even if the VA wants their records, the veteran has to sign a release for that,” he said. “That is not open information. It is kept here. Everything that’s said here, stays here.”

It’s all part of gaining the veterans’ trust in hopes that they’ll bring other vets into the fold.

“There’s not one clinician or employee that we have here that’s motivated by the money. We all love our jobs,” Jones said. “I can’t imagine a better job. I get to work with veterans everyday and you get to see the changes in people’s lives.”

Reporter Mackenzie Reiss can be reached at (406) 758-4433 or mreiss@dailyinterlake.com.