08/05/2026
Congratulations to U.S.VETS Los Angeles’ Hailey Buitrago, an associate therapist with our Outside the Wire program, on being awarded a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for excellence in leadership and advocacy in counseling veterans and their families at Pasadena City College's Veterans Resource Center.
Hailey was honored by Congresswoman Judy Chu during a celebration for veterans and their family members earning credentials and degrees from the college. She's among a group of U.S.VETS clinicians working across Southern California through a state-funded grant program focused on prevention and early intervention to help veterans and their families navigate challenges and gain stability as they transition to civilian life.
“I feel so honored and privileged to be able to do the work that I do, and to help the people that I’m serving,” says Hailey, who has been with U.S.VETS for about two years. “That would have been enough recognition. I’m just doing the work that needs to be done and that I enjoy doing.”
For Hailey, building trust and rapport with her clients is a critical first step. Her stepfather is a veteran, and she’s seen how camaraderie and connection can be lifelines for veterans following their service.
“It’s finding the ‘aha moment’ when I’ve offered them an intervention or a different way to think about something,” she says, “whether that’s to help them manage stress or offering them something that improves their relationship with a loved one.”
We’re grateful to be a community partner supporting veterans and their families to build stability, purpose and connection.
