North Central Indiana Vet Center Feasibility Assessment: From a Regional Concern to a Federal Review

For veterans and families across North Central Indiana, access to support should not depend on how far someone is able—or willing—to drive.

That simple concern became the foundation of the North Central Indiana Regional Vet Center Feasibility Assessment, an initiative led by DAV Chapter 28 to examine whether veterans throughout our region have reasonable access to the specialized counseling, outreach and readjustment services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Vet Center program.

The project has grown substantially since that initial question was raised. What began as a local examination of access has developed into a regional effort involving veterans, community organizations, local and state leaders, the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, VA representatives and members of Indiana’s congressional delegation.

Today, the completed assessment has moved beyond DAV Chapter 28 and is receiving review within the federal VA system.

Why This Assessment Was Needed

Vet Centers are part of the VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS). They operate differently from traditional VA medical facilities and provide community-based counseling and other readjustment services to eligible veterans, service members and qualifying family members.

That distinction is important.

A veteran may not need a hospital appointment but may still need confidential counseling, help adjusting after military service, support following military trauma or assistance reconnecting with family and community. For eligible veterans and service members, Vet Centers can provide another doorway into support.

The question DAV Chapter 28 sought to answer was straightforward:

Do veterans living in North Central Indiana have reasonable geographic access to those services?

Rather than relying on anecdotes or assumptions, we set out to document the issue.

A 17-County Regional Examination

The assessment examined a 17-county North Central Indiana region:

Howard, Cass, Miami, Clinton, Tipton, Fulton, Grant, Wabash, Carroll, Huntington, Blackford, Wells, Jay, Randolph, Madison, Tippecanoe and Delaware counties.

Collectively, these communities are home to more than 45,000 veterans.

The assessment examined the region from a geographic-access perspective and documented a significant travel burden. Eight of the counties examined were approximately 30 to 60 minutes from an existing Vet Center, while nine were more than an hour away.

Those numbers matter because distance is not merely a point on a map.

For someone already struggling with readjustment issues, mental health concerns, employment, transportation, family responsibilities or other barriers, a lengthy round trip can become another reason not to seek assistance.

The assessment therefore looked beyond population numbers. It considered regional geography, existing services, stakeholder observations, referral burdens and other factors affecting veterans' ability to actually reach and use Vet Center services.

The resulting assessment identified a community-based Vet Center in the Kokomo area as the strongest primary service model, supplemented by mobile and outreach capabilities capable of reaching veterans throughout the wider region.

This Was a Community Effort

Although DAV Chapter 28 initiated and developed the feasibility project, this was never intended to be a DAV-only conversation.

Throughout the process, we sought input and assistance from organizations and individuals already working with veterans throughout Indiana.

The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) was among the important stakeholders engaged during the process. VA personnel and representatives associated with the Readjustment Counseling Service also provided valuable engagement as we worked to better understand the existing service structure and the realities of delivering Vet Center services across a large geographic area.

Local veteran-service organizations, government representatives, health and behavioral-health stakeholders, community leaders and others contributed perspectives that helped move the discussion beyond numbers on a spreadsheet.

That participation was critical. A feasibility assessment is only useful if it reflects what is actually happening in the communities being studied.

DAV's own communications guidance emphasizes educating the public, community leaders, lawmakers and VA officials about issues affecting veterans and building cooperation among government agencies and community organizations. That philosophy continues to guide our outreach surrounding this project.

Taking the Assessment Beyond North Central Indiana

Completing the assessment was never intended to be the end of the project.

The report has been distributed to numerous stakeholders at the local, state and federal levels, including members of Indiana's congressional delegation and representatives within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

An important development came through the office of U.S. Sen. Jim Banks.

Senator Banks' office forwarded the assessment for review within the Department of Veterans Affairs, including VA Central Office and the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.

That represents an important transition for the project.

DAV Chapter 28 is not asking Congress to simply declare that a new Vet Center will be built. The ultimate determination concerning Vet Center resources and the appropriate service model belongs to VA and the Readjustment Counseling Service.

What we are asking is that the documented regional need receive a serious, formal evaluation.

The assessment provides the evidence. The next stage is ensuring the appropriate federal decision-makers examine that evidence and determine whether North Central Indiana warrants a permanent community-based Vet Center or another enhanced service model.

Outreach Has Not Stopped

While the assessment moves through that process, DAV Chapter 28 is continuing to build awareness.

We believe an assessment sitting in someone's inbox or on a desk accomplishes very little by itself. The veterans and families affected by this issue need to understand what is being proposed, and community leaders need to understand why it matters.

That is why we have begun expanding our public outreach through local newspapers, television, radio, social media and our chapter website.

On Friday, DAV Chapter 28 Commander Ross Havrick is scheduled to appear on WWKI 100.5 FM's Male Call from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. to discuss the feasibility assessment, explain what Vet Centers actually do and talk about the access challenges facing North Central Indiana veterans.

We are also continuing direct outreach to elected officials, veteran-service organizations, community leaders and other stakeholders throughout the region.

The goal is not simply publicity. It is education.

DAV's national Publicity Guide specifically encourages chapters to use local media and community outreach to educate the public about veterans' issues, establish communication with government agencies and community organizations, and articulate the needs of injured and ill veterans and their families.

What Happens Next?

There is still work ahead.

A completed feasibility assessment does not guarantee that VA will establish a new Vet Center. It does, however, provide a documented basis for asking the question at the appropriate level.

Our immediate priorities are to continue supporting the federal review, maintain communication with congressional and VA stakeholders, expand public awareness throughout North Central Indiana and make sure the veterans and families affected by this issue remain at the center of the conversation.

We will also continue advocating for a service model capable of reaching veterans throughout the entire region—not simply those living closest to Kokomo.

A permanent community-based Vet Center could serve as the regional hub, while mobile and outreach capabilities could extend services farther into rural and underserved communities.

Why DAV Chapter 28 Is Pursuing This

DAV's mission extends beyond helping an individual veteran with a claim. It also means identifying barriers affecting veterans collectively and working with government and community partners to address them.

DAV's national guidance describes the organization as dedicated to serving injured and ill veterans and helping veterans and their families access the benefits and services they have earned.

For DAV Chapter 28, the North Central Indiana Vet Center initiative is an extension of that responsibility.

We saw a potential gap.

We researched it.

We documented it.

We brought stakeholders together.

We produced an assessment.

We placed that assessment before state, federal and VA decision-makers.

And now we are working to ensure the issue remains visible while the assessment receives the consideration it deserves.

There is no predetermined outcome, and we will not claim victory before a decision is made. But there is now a documented regional case that did not exist before.

That is progress.

Read the Full Assessment

The complete North Central Indiana Regional Vet Center Feasibility Assessment and additional information about the initiative are available through the DAV Chapter 28 website.

→ [READ THE NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA VET CENTER FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT]

This button/link should point directly to the assessment section on the DAV Chapter 28 homepage.