Counseling Services Deploy for Boston-Area Vets

As one Afghanistan Veteran put it earlier today, the Boston Marathon bombings this month brought the experience of war to our city streets. Three people were killed with over two hundred injured, many of which are now amputees. The method of attack—and the injuries—are reminiscent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The images of the bombing and the aftermath circulated widely following the attacks, and in the wake of heightened tension, some Veterans in the Boston area, many of them students, expressed a need for counseling services. VA and the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services, in coordination with local Vets groups, responded with a deployment of five Mobile Vet Centers. The first one posted up yesterday afternoon near the marathon finish line, and within minutes, began to provide counseling services for area Veterans. Additionally, all members of the support staff are Veterans themselves.

The five Mobile Vet Centers will provide grief counseling and referrals for further care at VA, along with information on general benefits and resources.

Below are the locations where Vets can find the Mobile Vet Centers. If you’re in the area and were affected by the bombings, don’t hesitate to come on by and talk with a fellow Veteran about it. Be sure to pass it along to buddies in the area as well.

4/26/13 – (rest of the afternoon)
Copley Square Area
Private Charles J Shugt Detachment Marine Corp League – 215 Mt. Auburn Street Watertown, MA

4/27/13 – Saturday
University of Massachusetts Amherst
3rd Annual Vet Run (Suffolk Downs)
Copley Square Area
Private Charles J Shugt Detachment Marine Corp League – 215 Mt. Auburn Street Watertown, MA

4/28/13 – Sunday
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Copley Square Area
Private Charles J Shugt Detachment Marine Corp League – 215 Mt. Auburn Street Watertown, MA

Special thanks to Riverside Community Care, Massachusetts Rehab Commission, Boston Public Health, Boston Veterans Services, and Watertown Veterans Services for their work on coordinating this effort.

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