TU partners with Vet Center
Post Published On:Thomas University will be a satellite location for the Tallahassee Vet Center beginning this Fall.
Stephen Ferguson, Vice President for Military and Corporate Relations at TU, said the Vet Center will provide resources and services to veterans in the area as well as those attending TU.
Ferguson said TU began its military and veterans’ program in 2017 when there were a small number of military-affiliated students enrolled. Now the program has ballooned to nearly 300 military-affiliated students. TU will also hold the inaugural season of its military transition football team with the first game on September. 2.
“We have grown our veterans and military programming to where there is a real need for Veteran’s Administration personnel to be on our campus to assist with mental health counseling, education benefits, disability benefits, referral to other resources or other veteran services organizations,” he said.
TU has had a longstanding relationship with the Tallahassee Vet Center. Since 2017, TU and the Tallahassee Vet Center have been working on different initiatives including referring TU vets or other area vets that have engaged with TU for assistance with services specific to homelessness, mental health issues, and childcare services. The Vet Center has also done numerous presentations at TU.
The Tallahassee Vet Center was using a facility in Thomasville to provide group counseling, group therapy, and one-on-one meetings with veterans and their families in the area. However, Ferguson said it was not conducive to the schedule of some veterans, so TU offered the Tallahassee Vet Center the opportunity to use the campus.
“This opportunity is great,” Ferguson said. “It does not only raise the profile of TU’s veterans programming, but allows TU to become a centralized hub for veterans in the surrounding areas. The VET Center provides a variety of services, including counseling and referrals to VA services and other resources.
