A first-of-its-kind training and intervention program for veterans celebrated its grand opening in Missoula Thursday, Sept. 29.
The Rural Institute for Veterans Education and Research – “RIVER” for short – helps vets reintegrate back into civilian life after their military service ends.
Executive Director Ed Lesofski says, “just like when they went into the military it took a while to learn how to become a military person, they have to relearn what society is all about and that’s part of what we do.”
RIVER offers job training, crisis intervention and some basic medical services.
Its education director, Jason Zentgraf, says one specific two-year program teaches participants how to become recreational therapists.
“Training them to take out other veterans and doing recreational activities such as kayaking, whitewater rafting and all these different things," Zentgraf says. "It’s very therapeutic for the vets they’ll eventually take out.”
Justin Groff, a 26-year-old veteran, was injured during his tour of duty in Afghanistan. Groff says he’s learning a lot at the RIVER program, including non-traditional approaches to pain management such as acupuncture.
“So we’re learning how to go outside the scope of just what’s typically presented by the Veterans Administration, you know – ‘Oh you’ve got some pain - here’s some meds.’ Well, if that’s not working, where do you go? That’s what we’re learning here,” he says.
The institute was approved for GI Bill funding through the Office of Public Instruction.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau says that allows vets to use their benefits to pay for training programs at RIVER.
“It’s a real benefit to particularly rural Montana," Juneau says. "They were just telling me that they have people out in Culbertson who have been trained (here), providing real life-saving techniques and real services to veterans across this state.”
Counseling and crisis intervention services are also available. Institute officials say there’s no other program like it in the United States.