**Straight From the Heart**

**by Dr. Linda Boen**

A heartwarming story about a homeless veteran who found not only a job
but so much more.

Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) is a vocational rehabilitation program
administered by the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Initiated by Public
Law 108-170 the program has two fundamental goals: to rehabilitate the
veteran to a level of full-time gainful employment; and to maintain a
veteran's level of functioning and keep him/her from deteriorating to a
less functional level.

CWT Programs are located in over 160 VA facilities throughout the United
States. Participants in CWT programs are referred by a primary-care
clinical team that has assessed the veteran and determined he/she could
benefit from the program. Vocational rehabilitation specialists then
work with the veteran to address barriers that stand in the way of
achieving full-time gainful employment in the private sector. Frequently
those veterans enrolled in the CWT program have multiple challenges
including psychiatric and substance abuse issues, physical limitations,
are ex-offenders, and/or have family relationship issues. Often the
veterans also have child support obligations that have accumulated
significant arrearages.

The VA Central California Health Care System at Fresno initiated a CWT
program this past year at the hospital. This is a story about a special
veteran who participated in the CWT program. He found an unexpected
welcome from the community and from the VA \"brotherhood.\"

**[Straight From the Heart]{.underline}**

The veteran, homeless for many years, and without a family, came to the
CWT program by recommendation of a Mental Health Services staff
psychiatrist. The veteran, who we will call \"Charley\", must remain
anonymous for confidentiality purposes.

Charley had left the 9^th^ grade, years ago, to enlist in the Vietnam
War. He proudly served in the Army and left with an honorable discharge.

When the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Dr. Linda Boen,
interviewed him, he could not remember many of the lost and lonely years
on the street. He spoke of sleeping in dumpsters or garbage cans amid
the trash and under the refuge of cardboard in often freezing conditions
or in acrid summer heat. The weather in Fresno, California can be brutal
and the toil of those years was evident and shown in his fifty something
face. His eyes seemed to convey the loudest story, a brokenness of
sorts, with little or no expression, just a long and penetrating look of
emptiness. I remember reading over his medical records and finding
severe medical and emotional conditions such as diabetes, hypertension,
hypotension, hepatic C, and emotional problems. I could find no
employment history to develop a resume, and my hope of identifying a
vocational goal was limited to his military experience as an Army
Footman. I remember thinking that this was going to be a difficult
placement for employment here in Fresno. Where could we start without an
employment goal?

Each day in coming to work at the Fresno VACCHCS I am greeted by several
kind and friendly faces. These are the volunteers. Noble and courageous
men who volunteer their time and energy to \"direct traffic\" and
persons entering the VA premises. One such man, Paul (VA volunteer),
often greets me. I usually respond to him in passing by saying \"got any
jobs for vets?\" One day, he called me aside, and said, \"Yes.\" Later,
he handed me a card with the name of a rancher and his wife who were
looking for a farm hand. After arriving back at my office, the thought
came to mind about Charley, my homeless veteran, and the family in need
of a ranch worker. Could Charley swing a pitch fork? Could he feed and
milk cows and even want to live on a ranch in the Sierra foothills?

Without much warning Charley was back in my office the next day and in
need of a job. I asked him what he did for fun. I remember him saying
that he \"sat in a rented room these days and tried to read a book, but
he couldn\'t really read that well.\" He so desperately needed purpose
and a vocation and something to do with his life. He sat so lifeless,
speaking only as I spoke to him with questions. I couldn\'t imagine how
he would fare in an interview with an employer. I saw the names of the
family offering the job on a card on my desk. For what seemed a rash
decision, I asked Charley if he wanted to work on a ranch. Quickly, he
said \"yes.\" Eddie and Cricket (ranch owners) also quickly responded
with an interview set for the following morning. Charley arrived at 7:30
a.m. and had walked several miles to the hospital after riding a bus
from his boarding house. He sat in his tightly buttoned pea coat, hands
in pockets, and spoke not a word. Later, he quietly shared that he
wasn\'t quite sure if the people would like him or not.

**[The Interview]{.underline}**

Eddie arrived swiftly and spoke energetically with enthusiasm about his
ranch in the foothills. He described organic farming, friendly farm
animals with personal names, clean air, his beautiful wife, and life in
the hills. He explained expectations to Charley and offered room and
board at the ranch. Charley sat quietly looking straight ahead. Later,
Eddie stood, and said, \"let\'s go,\" indicating that he would take
Charley to the ranch for a trial period. I remember seeing them leave
and wondered how Charley would fare.

**[After the Trial Period]{.underline}**

Arriving back at the hospital early Monday morning, a telephone message
was posted from Eddie and Cricket. I remember thinking, I guess Charley
didn\'t like the ranch and they are bringing him back. What I could not
have expected happened.

**[A Message from the Ranch]{.underline}**

Eddie and Cricket telephoned to share that they wanted to \"keep Charley
and that he would work out just fine.\" However, they had decided to not
just hire him as a ranch hand, but rather wanted him to be a part of
their family. He was invited to all his share meals in their warm home.
Already, the organic food had allowed Charley to shed a few pounds, but,
more important, his blood sugar with the diabetes had dropped from 268
to a near normal range of 116, and he\'s smiling again. Cricket is
retired with a Master\'s Degree in Social Work and has taken on the task
of teaching Charley to rapidly read with phonetics. Already both he and
Eddie are in pursuit of fishing licenses (after the chores of course,
shares Cricket); as they live near many lakes filled with trout, brim,
and salmon in the Sierras. Eddie and Cricket asked Charley what he had
always wanted to do and he shared that his dream was to see Europe. They
have such a trip planned to Italy this coming year, and invited Charley
to start a saving\'s fund, which they will match dollar for dollar, and
they plan to take him along as part of their family.

Cricket set up a small Christmas tree, ablaze with lights in Charley\'s
trailer, as the ranch that they live on is called Bright Star Ranch. She
says the tree makes his eyes sparkle with delight. She asked him what he
wanted most for Christmas and he quickly replied \"a tri tip roast.\"
Looks like Charley not only found his way home to a warm fire, a ranch
with \"pet\" cows and dogs, a dream job, (which he\'s working into as he
physically recovers,) and a lot of love from a very special family. But,
in closing, this is a much broader story. It was the care and concern of
\"The VA Family of Brotherhood and Sisterhood,\" veterans helping
veterans, that brought this very special veteran \"home.\"

Dr. Boen is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the California
Central Health Care System at Fresno, California. Prior to this, she
served veterans in NW Arkansas as Vocational Rehabilitation\'s Chapter
31 Regional Counseling Psychologist. She has also been a Professor of
Counselor Education at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville,
Arkansas and served disabled persons throughout her career.