I never thought of it in that way, but that's a very interesting question and comment.
I think that, for a lot of veterans, a need to control their environment often has to do with their symptoms. One of the potential symptoms of PTSD is hypervigilance, constantly scanning for threats and not feeling safe. Providing an environment that is what we would call veteran friendly probably has to do with their own attitudes or experiences they've had in other mental health settings. Creating an environment where the waiting room is larger, or having either symbols or pictures that have to do with veterans or the military context....
I think we also have to keep in mind the power or the influence of peer support. If veterans have a positive experience, they will let other veterans know, in the same way that if they have a negative experience they will let other veterans know on social media and things like that. I think it's building a reputation in that type of context.
Also, like most organizations, we survey the veterans and ask them questions. When I refer patients for any treatment, I do ask them, when they come back, “How did they treat you?” in order to get feedback. I let them know that the reason I'm asking is that if I refer another veteran I'd like to know how they were treated, because that's helpful.