DEDICATION SLATED FOR NEW LACEY VETERANS' SERVICES OFFICE LACEY, WA, October 24, 2014: The City of Lacey will dedicate a new Veterans’ services office during a public ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29. The office will open at South Puget Sound Community College’s new Lacey campus, under construction at 4232 6th Avenue SE, in the city’s central business district.
“Thurston County is home to nearly 21,000 Veterans, and we’re pleased this new facility will increase local access to vital Veterans’ assistance programs,” commented Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder. “There has been an outstanding amount of support for this effort from local Veterans groups, as well as at the federal level from Senator Murray and Congressman Heck.”
The new facility is a joint-undertaking between the City of Lacey and South Sound Veterans’ services providers, with Lacey providing free use of the space. The initial array of services, delivered under a community access point arrangement with the Tacoma and Federal Way Vet Centers, will include Readjustment Counseling Services — a crucial function of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) — and a broad range of other counseling, outreach, and referral assistance to eligible Active Duty Service Members, Veterans, and their families. Those services will include Department of Veterans Affairs benefits explanation and referral; medical referral; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse assessment and referral; individual, group, marriage, and family counseling; and support for successful transition from military to civilian life.
“It is our responsibility to make sure that when our service members return home, we support them just as they have bravely supported and protected our country, and a critical part of this is connecting veterans to transition services right in their own communities,” said Senator Murray. “This new center will help ensure that veterans in Thurston County have the all the care and support they need
to succeed.”
“Access to resources close to home makes a big difference, and this location is a prime spot,” commented congressman Heck. “Lacey is privileged to have not only a large population of Veterans, but also a number of active-duty residents who may be transitioning to Veteran status soon. This center will be pivotal to providing valuable service for our South Sound Veterans for decades to come.”
In early-2015, additional Veterans’ services providers are expected to join the partnership. The facility will also work closely with South Puget Sound Community College and the Thurston County Economic Development Council to coordinate with educational and business development programs that benefit Veterans.
“We appreciate the overwhelming support in ensuring increased access to services for the Veterans, Active Duty Service Members and their families in the South Sound,” said Paul Hanna, Readjustment Counseling Therapist at the Tacoma Vet Center.
For more information, contact Stephen Kirkman, Lacey Public Affairs, at skirkman@ci.lacey.wa.us or (360) 456-7788; the Tacoma Vet Center at (253) 565-7038; or the Federal Way Vet Center at
(253) 838-3090.
### PRESS CONTACT:
- Stephen Kirkman; City of Lacey Public Affairs; (360) 456-7788; skirkman@ci.lacey.wa.us
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