Homecoming

Come in.

Hi. You're Walter?

- Yeah. Hi. Heidi? - Yes.

- (exhales) - All right.

That's nice.

That. Yeah.

- You like fish? - Not especially.

It was here when I got here. (Laughs)

I've decided it's soothing.

I feel kind of soothed.

- Oh, good. - (both chuckle)

Have a seat, please. We can get started.

And if you don't mind, I'd like to record just for my reference.

- Oh, no, it's fine. - Okay, great.

And... oh.

This is new and it's a bit bewildering.

I apologize.

- (beeps) - Oh. There we are.

Um, it's April 10, 2018.

This is Heidi Bergman, I'm with Homecoming client Walter Cruz.

Week one, session one.

Mrs. Trotter.

Hello?

- Hmm. - Yeah. Drink some coffee.

AJ, we talked about this.

I just need you to help me with this one thing.

I work here. We're not scamming the people...

It's not a scam. What about this is a scam?

- Uh, everything. - Heidi.

Heidi, random question.

Would you want to know if you could

double or triple your net worth?

Does that sound like a scam?

- You can't triple nothing, AJ. - (bell dings)

Four, pick it up.

See? Get out of here.

Do you know what you'd like?

Um, no, I...

All right, well, take your time. I'll come back.

No, I'm-I'm sorry, I'm-I'm not here to eat.

Heidi? Is that your name?

Yes.

H-Heidi Bergman. Correct?

Yeah. Do I know you?

Um, I'm Thomas Carrasco with the DoD IG.

- The what? - The Department of Defense?

Office of the Inspector General?

Are you asking me?

No, sorry, it is... it's-it's a...

And you're Heidi Bergman. You were employed

at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center?

Oh, um, yes.

I mean, years ago.

- How many? - How many what?

How many years ago did you work at Homecoming?

Uh, I-I don't know, maybe four?

What is this about?

We received a complaint about that program,

and you're the listed admin, so...

- I'm... I don't, um... - The soldiers,

uh, that you treated there, how...

how-how were they...

Um, why don't you go outside, and I will get a break

and come talk to you?

Sure. Right-right now?

- Yeah. I'll just... - I'll just meet you out there?

- Right outside the door. Yes. - I'll meet you out there right outside.

Right outside? Right outside.

Okay, Walter Cruz, 26 years old, three tours.

- You got here when, Friday? - Yeah. Friday.

Wonderful. So I am supposed to read you this welcome.

And I warn you, it is very, very boring.

- (laughs softly) Okay. - Okay.

"Welcome, Walter Cruz,

"to the Homecoming Transitional Support Center.

"First, allow me to thank you, on behalf of the president

"and a grateful nation for your valuable service.

We thank you for keeping us safe."

It's cheesy, I know.

No. No, it's fine.

"My name is Heidi Bergman, and I am your case worker

"for this reintegration process.

"Our facility is a safe space for you to process

"your military experience and refamiliarize yourself

with civilian life in a monitored environment."

Which just means

getting you situated now that you're back.

Career-wise, health-wise.

Basically, I work for you.

Okay. (Chuckles)

All right, so the only...

I don't want to say "mandatory"... but...

- But mandatory? - Yeah, I guess.

- (laughs softly) - The only mandatory elements

are the group meals in the cafeteria,

the workshops which you'll hear about,

and, um, these meetings with me,

which hopefully won't be too painful.

Well, that sounds great.

I-I want to be in compliance with all this.

"Compliance." Wow.

No, I, I mean, I know why I'm here.

You know, other guys, they came home and they got really amped

and just dove right into everything and then...

and they had problems.

And I don't want to end up like them, but... I'm eager.

Eager for what?

Just, like, a life?

Busy, clean life.

I don't want to pollute things here with my problems,

my stress, or whatever, so I just...

I want to put it all behind me.

I see.

Um, and you acknowledge that your participation

in the Homecoming initiative is voluntary and uncoerced?

I just need you to verbally acknowledge that.

Oh. Yeah. Yes. I do.

This is Heidi Bergman for Walter Cruz.

I see no obstacles

to approving Cruz for subgroup placement

- and starting him on... - (phone vibrating)

- Hi, Colin. - COLIN (over phone): Yeah, H-Heidi?

Connection's really shoddy.

- You-you there? - I-I'm here. Can you hear me?

Yeah. Yeah. I-I barely got you.

Uh, hmm. Can I, can I help you with something?

Uh... fuck. What was I gonna ask?

Nope, it's totally gone now.

- I... what was I gonna...? - (quietly): Oh, shit.

Well, anyway, I'm at the new laboratory.

Um, how does it look over there?

Everything's up and running.

You're gonna have a totally consistent supply now.

- That's great. - You can just focus

- on working with the guys. - And it's the same medication?

- There's no change in... - Yeah... oh-oh, Heidi,

let's not throw that word around the facility, okay?

Now that the guys have moved in,

we should be, you know, discreet.

Right. Okay.

Hey, how's it all going there? - Well...

Yeah, I know, an office building

isn't the ideal clinical environment.

Oh, no, it's-it's fine.

The staff has really been helpful,

and we've got all the office stuff out of the way.

A-And the decor, Heidi, the vibe?

I told them we want hip but masculine.

Right. - How's that looking?

Uh, it looks good.

Yeah, the decorator did a great job.

Okay, perfect.

You know, we're gonna be in a more legitimate setting

as soon as we have some results.

Right. Well, actually, the guys don't seem to mind,

- and, uh... - Okay, but you understand

the urgency here, right?

We need the data. That's the key.

Of course. - I've got that presentation

at the DoD in six weeks.

We need to have everything squared away by then.

- Understood? - Understood.

Okay, so how soon do you think

you might have that for me?

Have what? - The data, Heidi.

- Y-Y-You're pushing on that, right? - Oh.

Absolutely, yeah, and I think we're seeing...

'Cause we need to be surgically precise in this.

- Everything these guys remember... - Yes, of course.

We have to get really granular with all that shit.

Okay. Absolutely.

I just... if you can just give me one sec, um,

I just had a session, actually, with a Walter Cruz.

He is a great candidate, really, really eager to be here.

No, Heidi, Heidi, Heidi, I-I don't have a lot of time.

I got to be at the airport in, like, 32 minutes.

I-I-I'll be quick. I was just thinking,

in terms of being granular, as you said, and deliberate,

that perhaps we could take a more holistic approach

to the initial stages of the treatment.

Holistic? - Well, I feel like we're just kind of

throwing them into the process

without developing much of a relationship.

Yeah, okay, Heidi, I'm gonna stop you there. - Okay.

Okay, what we're seeking here, Heidi, is information,

not relationships, not rapport,

whatever these men are holding onto,

that's exactly what we need to know.

No, I get that. I just, in terms of...

Okay, well, based on what you just said, you don't,

so I need you to 180 on this, okay?

Um... yeah, okay.

I just was thinking of in terms of improving the data and...

Heidi, if I go into the DoD and I say things like "holistic,"

you know what they're gonna...

No, I don't even know what they would do.

We need real proof of concept here,

just a house of data to drop on the appropriations people

so they shut their mouths, stop prevaricating,

and open up the approval process.