Chapter 28 Chapter 28: Alternative Solutions
I woke up at three in the morning with the thought, as the best and worst ideas so often do. Rather than waiting for the VA to start peer support programs, what if veterans did it themselves? Not as an alternative or protest against government services, but as a model of what effective support for veterans could be.
I called Tommy Chen the moment I realized he'd be awake.
"Rachel, please tell me you've got some good news about VA implementation schedules."
"I've got something better. I've got a proposal for how veterans can build their own support community while bureaucrats tinker with their paperwork."
I explained my logic. Veterans had already proven themselves capable of organizing effectively in several cities. They had the respect of their communities, the skill at coordinating big operations, and the credibility that came with mutual experience.
"So instead of waiting for the government to set up peer support programs, we set up our own?"
"Not in addition to - instead of. Demonstrate what works, build a record of effectiveness, and give the government an evidence-based model to scale up."
Tommy fell silent for a couple of minutes. "It's interesting, but it would cost us things we don't have. Money, legal basis, administrative support."
"What if resources existed? What if there are people who would provide startup funds and organizational support to peer counseling programs operated by veterans?"
"Are such people around?"
I had thought about the book deal for Alex, the interest of the people from the documentary, the media the veteran activist movement had generated. "Maybe. I'll call some people."
The first call was to Congressman Martinez.
"Rachel, I like the idea, but I have to be careful not to look as though I'm endorsing alternatives to federal programs that we just legislated into existence."
"Congressman, this would not be duplicating VA programs. It would supplement them and provide us with evidence of best practices. It is a public-private partnership."
"Walk me through the political implications."
I had learned so much about Washington that I knew this was the incisive question. "If veteran-led programs are effective, Congress can point to creative methods that enhance federal services. If they fail, it demonstrates the necessity of professional VA programs. Either way, veterans benefit while bureaucratic implementation lags behind."
"And what if the VA takes this as them being criticized for their competence?"
"Then they'll be motivated to advance their own implementation timeline in order to compete."
Martinez paused. "How long would it take to establish something like that?"
"These veterans have been orchestrating complex operations for months. With resources and legal support, probably sixty days to implement pilot programs in five cities."
"Send me a proposal. With financing requirements, legal structure, measurement metrics, and integration into existing VA services."
I made my second call to Alex.
"How big of a number are we discussing?" he asked after I'd sketched the concept.
"Half a million for a six-month pilot project with five cities. Staff salaries, rental on meeting space, minimal expenses."
"Rachel, that's optimistic for a startup nonprofit. Do you know people who will write checks that size?"
"Not in my name, but I have friends who have friends. And Alex, this could be the greatest last chapter of your book. Individual crisis intervention giving way to community-based solutions."
"It could also be the beginning of a movie on veteran entrepreneurship and social innovation."
"Are you saying that you could potentially have access to sources of capital?"
"I'm saying the narrative of veterans building their own support communities rather than waiting for government fixes has commercial and social appeal. There could be investors who would want to fund it."
My third call was to Captain Chen.
"Rachel, I like the idea, but have you thought through the legal liability issues? If we're offering peer counseling, we have to have proper training, supervision, and insurance coverage."
"What would that entail?"
"Collaboration with existing mental health organizations, probably. Licensed professionals providing supervision, official training processes, delineated scope of services."
"Does that kill the idea?"
"No, it makes it more difficult. We'd have to partner with existing nonprofits or healthcare systems rather than creating a new one from scratch."
Over the next week, I met with Tommy, Gunny Santos, and senior leaders in Chicago, Boston, Denver, and Atlanta to develop a proposal for our Veteran Community Support Initiative. The concept was simple: peer support groups facilitated by veterans with professional mental health supervision, operating in five cities as demonstration projects.
The proposal was dropped on Congressman Martinez's desk the Monday after.
"This is good work," Dr. Williams read it saying. "Professional organization, clear measures of evaluation, coordination with VA services rather than competition. It may just work."
"The funding requirement is substantial," James Morrison added. "A half-million for six months, with potential expansion expenses if the pilot succeeds."
"But consider the political payoff," Captain Chen said. "If this works, Congress can point to examples of successful public-private innovation. If VA rollout accelerates in reaction, Congress can claim credit for the competitive heat they instigated that improved government services."
Martinez read the proposal twice prior to speaking. "Rachel, this is the kind of effort that could demonstrate congressional sensitivity to veterans' issues. But I must be blunt - this cannot be interpreted as Congressional funding for alternatives to legislation we just passed."
"What if private money is used?"
"That would turn the entire political dynamic around. Congress promoting veteran entrepreneurship rather than subsidizing government alternatives."
Alex called that afternoon with an update.
"I have three tentative commitments. One is a foundation that funds veteran programs, one is a CEO of a tech firm who's a veteran supporter, and some documentary production fund dollars that can fund the program as we're filming it."
"Enough for a pilot?"
"Enough for a pilot and potentially for other cities if it pans out."
"What's the catch?"
"No catch, but conditions. The funders want professional assessment, open operations, and a willingness to share best practices with government programs rather than competing with them."
That evening, I phoned Tommy to give him the news.
"Rachel, this is promising. We have seasoned leaders in all five cities willing to coordinate, mental health professionals who are willing to provide oversight, and now funds to make it happen."
"What's your time frame?"
"If there's money available next week, we can have operations up in sixty days. More quickly than the VA could probably stand up a pilot program in one city."
"And the other veterans? The ones that are yelling for more aggressive approaches?"
"If we can demonstrate measurable movement on veterans' support in ninety days, I believe most people will get on board with this approach. It's affirmative action that impacts veterans while creating evidence for policy reform."
Two days later, Alex phoned to confirm.
"Funding is confirmed. Half a million for six months, renewable based on results. The documentary crew wants to start filming next week."
I was exhilarated and terrified. In a month, we had come from the specter of veteran protest to launching a multi-city demonstration campaign. The pace was exhilarating but terrifying.
"Alex, what if this doesn't work? What if these programs for veterans can't offer the sort of professional help people need?"
"Then we'll have gained something worth knowing about the limits of peer support and the worth of professional services. But Rachel, what if it does work? What if this demonstrates that veteran communities can build more effective systems of support than those old bureaucracies?"
"Perhaps then we might have found a model that would change the way this country approaches veteran care."
That night, I sat in my apartment sorting through contracts, partnership agreements, and business plans for something I had never imagined when I met Alex Chen at that coffee shop. Crisis intervention for one had expanded to advocacy for many, which was now unfolding into community entrepreneurship.
The task became more complex, but more powerful. Instead of saving individual lives, here and there, we were now creating systems that saved thousands of lives over the years.
My phone buzzed with a text message from Tommy: "Official launch date set for eight weeks from today. Five cities, professional oversight, documentary coverage. This is really happening."
And another by Gunny Santos: "LA team ready. Mental health partnership confirmed. Thank you for believing in us."
And finally, one by Kevin Martinez: "Heard about the new program. Looking forward to applying as a peer counselor. You saved my life - now I want to save others."
I realized that was the real hallmark of success. Veterans of crises were now the answer to crises for others. Personal healing had become collective healing, and that was becoming systemic change.