By John Little
When Phillina Middleton left the Army and moved to Richmond in 2001, she found herself unsure how to navigate civilian life.
“I was disillusioned with the whole military, so I never reached out to anyone, and I was new to the area, so I didn’t know anyone.”
“I was disillusioned with the whole military, so I never reached out to anyone,” she said. “And I was new to the area, so I didn’t know anyone.”
Through her job as a parole officer in Fincastle, Middleton organized bimonthly meetings for incarcerated veterans at Augusta Correction Center until it closed last year.
This spring, Middleton will co-lead a new veteran support group through the nonprofit Rockbridge Recovery, hoping to bring the same fellowship to local veterans.
“In a veteran group, you can express yourself.”
“Going through the military, there are things that happen that civilians can’t necessarily understand,” Middleton said. “But in a veteran group, you can express yourself. We all understand where you’re coming from because we’ve been through some form of that.”
Weekly meetings on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. will offer veterans the opportunity to share their post-military experiences. The meetings will occur at Rockbridge Recovery’s Group Center at 119 E. 28th St. in Buena Vista.
Rockbridge Recovery is a resource center helping people struggling with substance abuse and mental health. Last year, the nonprofit opened the HOPE House, a living facility for men on the path to a drug-free life.
Program Administrator Ashley Jennings said the veteran support group is a natural extension of the nonprofit’s mission. Inspired by her husband’s military service and his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, she saw a gap in veteran-specific care.
“There are plenty of groups for those struggling with drug or alcohol problems, or grief support, but none specifically for veterans,” Jennings said.
Using grants from the Carilion Clinic Foundation and the George C. Marshall Chapter of the Military Officers of America Association, Rockbridge Recovery hopes to end this disparity.
Veterans make up more than six% of the combined population of Rockbridge County, Buena Vista, and Lexington, according to Rockbridge Recovery’s proposal for the grants, but there are few local resources tailored to them.
The need for veteran care is great. Nationally, the Veteran Affairs Agency estimates that 11% of veterans who visited one of their facilities for the first time have a substance use disorder. The suicide rate is 72% higher for veterans than for those who never served, according to the nonprofit Stop Soldier Suicide.
Veterans in Buena Vista must drive about an hour to reach the nearest veteran support groups, located in Salem and Staunton.
Support groups in southwest Virginia can be hard to get into. The support group at the Staunton VA Clinic requires a clinic referral to join. The waiting time for a first-time appointment at a clinic can be a month, according to Rockbridge Recovery’s proposal for the grants.
While few places provide veteran care nearby, the Floyd Davidson post of the American Legion has fostered community for veterans in and around Buena Vista. The nationwide fraternal organization advocates for veterans and organizes programs to support them.
The post hosts events such as flea markets and monthly breakfasts for veterans and the broader community.
George Sullivan, who runs the post, said that the Legion has been a part of the Rockbridge area’s community since 1923, but its membership is aging. He said the average age of members is 64 1/2.
“You would think that those who went through what went on in the last 20 years would want to reach out,” Bill O’Brian, a group member, said. “We’re not seeing younger veterans.”
Jennings said she has not reached out to the American Legion yet. She plans to spread awareness about the new group through ads, word of mouth, and by connecting with veteran groups.
Rockbridge Recovery will drive veterans without reliable transportation to the meetings, Jennings said.
Jennings said she wants to introduce one-on-one counseling services for veterans in the future, expanding Rockbridge Recovery’s resources for veterans even further.