Veterans Service Office Partners with Department of Veterans Affairs for Unique Pilot Program
The Adams County Veterans Service Office and the Denver Vet Center—part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—have teamed up for a unique pilot program.
“This collaboration is a wonderful service for our community,” says Steve O’Dorisio, Chair, Adams County Board of County Commissioners. “Our partnership with the VA fulfills the board’s vision for the Veterans Service Office—supporting our veterans by ensuring they have access to the services they need.”
This partnership reconnects veterans to their local communities by providing readjustment counseling and whole-body wellness closer to home in Adams County. It was created in direct response to the nationwide Governor’s Challenge Initiative that launched in 2018 to help prevent veteran suicide.
“This is the first partnership of its kind in the state—perhaps even in the country, and it’s grown significantly since it began in January 2019,” says Robert Sheetz, Adams County Veteran Service Officer. “It extends beyond counseling services at the Human Services Center, too, and there are many ways both residents and non-residents can get involved.”
The program offers:
- All Veterans Bowling League: Bowlers meet weekly at The Summit in Thornton.
- Veterans Advisory Commission: This group advises the Adams County Board of County Commissioners and other county boards and councils on veterans’ issues within the community.
- Trauma-Informed Yoga: A weekly, veteran-led yoga class provided by nonprofit Comeback Yoga allows vets to get support from each other and to focus on overall wellbeing.
- Veterans Court: Adams County Court for Veterans meets the needs of veterans with substance use disorders through classes and relapse prevention planning.
- Readjustment Counseling: Donald Maloy, a readjustment counselor with the Denver Vet Center, is on-site two days a week at the Human Services Center, 11860 Pecos St., Westminster, to provide counseling services.
“These types of activities help veterans feel connected to other veterans and their communities, and they drastically reduce the number of suicide deaths among former service members,” says Maloy. “We’re always looking at opportunities to expand this program, and the list of activities continues to grow.”
Learn more about the partnership in this video. Veterans who are interested in getting involved should reach out to the Denver Vet Center at 303.326.0645 or visit their website. The website also provides information on how organizations can get involved with the program.