Henderson Vet Center extends helping hand to those who serve

“You just never know who is going to walk through the door,” said Kelly Edwards-Barron, director of the Henderson Vet Center.

Since the center’s office, 400 N. Stephanie St., Suite 180, opened in April 2010, it has received calls and walk-ins from countless veterans in the Henderson area in need of anything from mental health services to simply someone to talk to.

Edwards-Barron said the program decided to have an office in Henderson after assessing the need in the Las Vegas Valley and realizing that the area had a lot of veterans who could use help.

Since then, the center’s programs have been growing.

With a few counselors on staff, it offers readjustment services for veterans, be it group or individual therapy sessions. This can range from veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder to military sexual assault trauma.

Some of the groups span generations, with veterans who served in Vietnam, Korea, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Persian Gulf.

Edwards-Barron said the center is working to start an Operation Iraqi Freedom group. It has tried to start the group twice before, but she said it’s hard to attract younger veterans.

“But we will keep trying,” Edwards-Barron said.

The center also offers support groups for issues such as anger management and opportunities for family members to talk to counselors.

Among its first clients were Angela and Mat Jenkins. Mat died during a 2014 deployment. The couple had known each other since 2004 and married in 2008.

In 2009, Mat was sent overseas for 13 months.

“He was a different person when he came back,” Angela said. “They train you on how to deploy but not how to come back. They don’t teach (spouses) how to deal with them when they come back.”

Along with working with people returning home and needing help readjusting, the center also works with families — oftentimes, they need help in understanding the complexities that come with readjustment.

Wanting to avoid divorce, the Jenkinses decided to come to the center to try counseling.

Off and on for several years, they worked with Edwards-Barron on how to better communicate and use counseling tools such as taking breaks during arguments.

Along that time period, the center began to grow. It does ample outreach to ensure the community knows it is a resource and hired veteran and outreach coordinator Phellep Snow to help get the word out.

It also began offering other types of services. After Mat died, the center took on another role: bereavement counseling.

“I think many of (our clients) hear about this (service) through word of mouth,” Edwards-Barron said.

Though she had been coming to the center for years, Angela had no clue it offered bereavement services. After her husband died, she said she went to another counselor who didn’t seem to be a good fit. On instinct, she decided to reach out to Edwards-Barron.

“I was coming every week for a while,” Angela said. “We are up to every other week. I tried going a full month, but it didn’t end well. I had too much anxiety.”

The center continues to look at how to increase its services. Logistically, it is now opened longer and on Saturdays and has added more counselors.

It also offers active-duty military personnel a place to seek counseling. Edwards-Barron said those in active duty are often hesitant because of fear of repercussions, but the center keeps it discreet.

It has also tried new approaches when it comes to treating military members, including aromatherapy and working with horses.

“We will continue to approach (readjustment services) from a holistic approach,” Edwards-Barron said.

The Henderson Vet Center is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Call 702-791-9170.

To reach Henderson View reporter Michael Lyle, email mlyle@viewnews.com or call 702-387-5201. Find him on Twitter: @mjlyle.