The VRC's carry out their mandate and strive to achieve this mission in a variety of ways. Perhaps the best way to explain their role is to highlight one of the centers. The Vet Center in Birmingham, Alabama was designated a Resource Center in September 1987. In order to facilitate meeting the expanded mission requirements, the staffing of the Vet Center was enhanced and realigned to include six RCS and two auxiliary staff. Staff presently consists of a team leader, two mental health professionals, a readjustment counseling specialist, a readjustment counseling technician, and an office manager.
Auxiliary staff consists of a state employment counselor and a veterans claims representative.
Additionally, the center retains an external clinical consultlant to provide assistance with case management, difficult clinical issues, interpretation of assessment instruments, and team building. Each phase has specific goals, procedure and content. Phase I focuses exclusively on military readjustment issues and is intended to help the veteran assimilate, integrate and work through combat-related experiences. Phase II examines the veteran's current psychosocial issues. Life skills are taught to improve personal effectiveness.