Veterans Focus Group

Veterans Focus Group

This group I attend every Friday at 11:30 to 12:30 is nothing like any group I’ve ever attended at the V.A. It’s not AA (Alcohol Anonymous) NA ( Narcotic Anonymous) neither is it CA (Church Anonymous). In fact it’s not Anonymous. It was started as an African American group in an effort to engage, dialog concerns of African Americans receiving service and support at the V.A. (Veterans Administration) in an effort to resolve and respond to issues that African Americans face when interacting with the V.A. system. Since I been going to this group it’s been a safe place to discuss personal issues I deal with without feeling judged. It’s given me a clear picture of who I am, not just as a Veteran, but as a human being. I think this is true for other Veterans as well. The group has evolved; other Non- African Americans have been invited by African Americans to the group for support as well. As Veterans we all have something in common. We are all Veterans with everyday life situations and circumstances. We get it done in this group day by day in our personal lives. We are doing something about our situation. There are no quick fixes here. We as veterans presenting problems and solutions; rather it’s through our faith or personal experiences. In addition, we have the support of facilitators, Social Workers, Megan and Johnathan. Megan and Johnathan do not take the position as experts or superior professionals in the group. Neither are they condescending in any way in their approach as facilitators. Their attitude is conducive to real genuine engaging dialog from the group. By the same token they won’t hesitate to give constructive criticism, not allowing you to deceive yourself. When they give feedback there is an opportunity to realistically look at what’s real and how to respond to any given situation we face, not just at the V. A. but in life in general. This attitude is an essential part of what makes the group work. The other part is group member participation, feedback from and to other members of the group. The group members come to group voluntarily seeking comradery and support. Some just want to talk, others listen. The whole set up is a team effort that challenges all of us toward living a better quality of life as veterans. There are some awesome things happening in this group. Its not easy to get men voluntarily to come to a group on their own accord religiously every Friday. I expect this group to grow and become an enormous support for veterans in the future across the country. I am so thankful to be a part of this group.
Do we all agree? Certainly not. We accept other points of view, become more conscious of the big picture, learn how to resolve conflict and find answers to situations and circumstances for the greater good, everyone involved. What do we take away from the group? Laughter, Knowledge, Support, Comfort, Encouragement, Humility Empowerment, Direction, Courage, Clarity and most of all Focus and Connection with each other and the environment, community we interact with. If there are other Veterans reading this post who want to find hope, have exhausted other groups, frustrated in life and want their voice heard. This could be the place for you. We meet every Friday at 11:30-12:30 at the Veterans Hospital as you go into the cafeteria. Come join us.