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Military culture is comprised of sacrifice, discipline, holding one’s self to higher standards, teamwork, being part of something greater, belonging, loyalty, brotherhood, fighting spirit, never giving up, suppression, denial, and moral injury

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The Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a multitude of services ranging from healthcare, disability compensation, education benefits, and health and nutrition programs, and many more programs to support veterans.

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Substance Use

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Substance Use

Are you concerned about yourself or about a Veteran in a substance use-related crisis?

Get support anytime day or night
If you see someone showing symptoms of overdose or who is in immediate danger, dial 911.
If you're worried that you or a loved one is at risk of overdosing, it's important that you talk to a specialist right away. The following resources offer free, confidential support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Veterans Crisis Line

The SAMHSA National Helpline offers confidential, free help from public health agencies that can point you to substance use treatment and information.

Substance use disorders and the COVID-19 pandemic

Overcoming substance use disorder or a related condition requires being an active participant in your own treatment. That's especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought new challenges in managing recovery. Learn how to increase your ability to cope here.

Overview

Alcohol and other drugs are often used in response to stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Despite the temporary relief a substance may seem to provide, increased substance use can lead to long-term consequences.

What Is Substance Use Disorder (SUD)?

Often referred to as "addiction," substance use disorder (SUD) is a disease that causes people to have difficulty controlling their use of alcohol, drugs, and other substances, including opioids. Untreated, this misuse can begin to influence many aspects of life.

Signs and Symptoms of SUD

Increased urge to drink or to use drugs.

Inability to stop drinking or using drugs, despite negative consequences.

Change in relationships due to drinking or drug use.

Feeling depressed or anxious about your substance use.

Feeling sick and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when drinking or drug use stops.

Increased tolerance, which refers to the need over time for more alcohol or stronger drugs to achieve the desired effect.

Fortunately, there are many ways to recover from alcohol or drug use disorders. Take the next step and learn about the many VA treatments available, including in- and outpatient care, medications, support groups, specialized therapy, and more.

Screening for SUD

VA has developed a brief questionnaire to help Veterans identify possible signs or symptoms of a substance use disorder. Your results will be completely confidential, and the results will not be stored or sent anywhere - this self-assessment is simply to help you. You will have the option to print a copy of the results, either for your own records or to share with your physician or a mental health professional. If you think you may be showing symptoms of SUD, consider taking VA's brief, anonymous questionnaire.

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Get support anytime day or night If you see someone showing symptoms of overdose or who is in immediate danger, dial 911. If you're worried that you or a loved one is at risk of overdosing, it's important that you talk to a specialist right away.

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Military Sexual Trauma (MST) refer to sexual assault or harassment experienced during military service. One out of four women who goes to VA has experienced military Sexual Trauma (MST) and almost half of people who came to VA for help are men.

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Invisible Wounds: Life after military sexual assault and PTSD | Veterans Coming Home

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The VA is committed to the path of healing. It does not matter how long ago the person experienced MST, veterans may get VA care even they are not eligible for other services. The services at VA are confidential and free of charge.

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The traumas experienced while serving in a combat zone frequently haunts the service member even after their tour is over. PTSD not only affects the mental health but also the physical health of veterans with the diagnosis (Lee, 2011).

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US Army Infantryman talks about PTSD and Psychiatric Drugging

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There is a big connection between substance abuse and PTSD and other mental health problems that veterans have such as depression. They find that this is their way to cope with their feelings because it takes the pain away from reality. There has become increasingly more awareness of the topic within the last 10 years, and this means that there are more and more possible ways to get help

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Treatment Programs for Substance Use Problems - Mental Health

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OMHS internet page for information on Substance Abuse, including information on screening, treatment, and VA programs & services.

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Suicide is a serious and growing issue in the veteran population. It is devastating that we fail thepeople who have served for our country. According to CBS evening news (2007), veterans aged from 20 to 24, that served during the war on terror are at the highest risk of suicide. They choose to shoot themselves, hang themselves, or jump offbridges. From 1995 to 2007, there were 2196 cases of suicide among the veteran population.

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Suicide is a serious and growing issue in the veteran population. It is devastating that we fail thepeople who have served for our country. According to CBS evening news (2007), veterans aged from 20 to 24, that served during the war on terror are at the highest risk of suicide. They choose to shoot themselves, hang themselves, or jump offbridges. From 1995 to 2007, there were 2196 cases of suicide among the veteran population.

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How to end veteran suicide | Ron Self | TEDxSanQuentin

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The goal of thorough suicide assessment is prevention.  A good assessment tool can help inevaluating the patient who is at risk for suicide. We need to assess patient’s history of suicide attempts, statements of intent to self-harm, plans for suicide, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, a method tocommit suicide, and family history of suicide attempts.

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After being discharge it is difficult for veterans to reintegrate the society because of mental and physical illnesses. This difficult reinsertion into civilian life lead many veterans to alcohol and drugs to cope with the many issues they have. The addiction put strain on their relationship with families’ members and employers who don’t know how to deal with veterans. With no money and family support veterans become homeless

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Veteran Homelessness | Connecting Point: Veterans Coming Home | Oct. 13, 2014

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Housing Assistance for Veterans

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Permanent Housing Assistance For Veterans

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)

This collaborative program between HUD and VA combines HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help Veterans who are homeless and their families find and sustain permanent housing. As of December 20, 2023, HUD has allocated nearly 112,000 vouchers to help house Veterans across the country.

How It Works

Through public housing authorities, HUD provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned housing to Veterans who are experiencing homelessness. VA case managers may connect these Veterans with support services such as health care, mental health treatment and substance use counseling to help them in their recovery process and with their ability to maintain housing in the community. Among VA homeless continuum of care programs, HUD-VASH enrolls the largest number and largest percentage of Veterans who have experienced long-term or repeated homelessness.

More Information

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)

For very low-income Veterans, SSVF provides case management and supportive services to prevent the imminent loss of a Veteran's home or identify a new, more suitable housing situation for the individual and his or her family; or to rapidly re-house Veterans and their families who are homeless and might remain homeless without this assistance.

How It Works

Through referrals and direct outreach, nonprofit agencies and community cooperatives use SSVF funding to quickly house Veterans and their families who are homeless and keep others from slipping into homelessness by providing time-limited supportive services that promote housing stability. Case management includes help securing VA and other benefits such as educational aid and financial planning.

More Information
Dial 1-877-4AID-VET
(1-877-424-3838) Homeless Veteran Chat

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Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you've earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member-like health care, disability, education, and more.

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Agent Orange was an herbicide used to destroy enemy crops and kill the forests where enemy soldiers could hide. This herbicide contained an unwanted byproduct called dioxin TCDD which is now known to be a carcinogen. Many Vietnam veterans were exposed to this toxin and it resulted in many health issues that were not identified until years later.

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Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are at higher risk for developing cancer later on in life or other diseases. The VA offers a number of benefits for veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

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Agent Orange

Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide used by the U.S. military for control of vegetation. It was named for the orange band around the storage barrel. The military sprayed Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides during the Vietnam War. Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange include Veterans who served in different locations, including Vietnam, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, on Thai Air Force bases, at other locations, and who flew on or worked on C-123 Aircraft.

VA offers eligible Veterans a free Agent Orange Registry health exam for possible long-term health problems related to exposure. VA also offers health care, disability compensation, and other benefits to eligible Veterans for certain disease conditions, as well as benefits for children of Vietnam Veterans who have spina bifida. Dependents and survivors may also be eligible for other benefits.

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US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

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Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide used by the U.S. military for control of vegetation. It was named for the orange band around the storage barrel. The military sprayed Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides during the Vietnam War.

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Acknowledge veteran's stories is a great ways to get to know them.

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Wes Moore: How to talk to veterans about the war

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it’s important to note that even when family members are not physically present, they still have personal meaning and influence (Denham, 2015). When nurses are caring for individuals, they should be aware that other factors beyond the immediate situation may have great relevance.

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It is vital to take time to assess the family's structure and style in order to formulate an effective teaching plan. Getting to know your patient's family and the role they will play in health care management will save a great deal of time in the long run. Treatment plans developed without input from the patient and family are often doomed to failure. As a result, the health care team spends valuable additional time going back to assess the family and often learn about strengths and barriers that were present all along. Both the patient and family members need to tell their story about the illness and the impact it is having on their lives. Try to give them time to share their perceptions about the problems the illness is causing. By taking time to listen to the patient and his family, you are building the trusting relationship that is the basis of patient and family teaching.

A good family assessment requires astute observation skills and the ability to be an active listener. Assessment data can be obtained anytime health care professionals interact with patients and families. Gathering information about family structure, function, and needs does not have to be restricted to structured interviews. Anytime the family is present; you can obtain more information about the family and their role in the patient's health care management. Informal conversations with the patient and family while you are passing medications, adjusting an intravenous rate, or giving a tube feeding can yield data that will help you complete the family picture. Table 9 shows areas of family assessment that are important to know. Learning the answers to these questions will help you immensely in developing an effective teaching-learning partnership with the patient and his or her family.

Table 9

What is the family like?

Who is considered part of the family?

What is the patient's position and role in the family?

Who has most influence on the patient?

What are the ages and sex of the family members?

What are their occupations?

What is the health status of family members?

Are there physical limitations that would affect a family member's ability to help with care needs?

What resources are available to the family?

Can the family provide for the patient's physical needs?

What is the patient's home like? Does it provide sufficient safety and comfort features?

What is the patient's ability to perform self-care?

What are the health insurance resources?

What neighborhood or community resources are available?

What connections does the family have with friends, neighbors, church, community organizations?

What are the family's educational background, lifestyle, and beliefs?

What is the level of education of the family members and their attitudes toward learning?

Do all family members have basic literacy skills?

Are there language barriers to verbal communication?

What is the family's lifestyle and cultural background?

Does the family have any folk medicine beliefs?

Are there potential conflicts between cultural beliefs and the recommendations of health professionals?

What are the family's normal dietary patterns?

Does the family seem to be able to take in new information easily and apply what was taught?

Does the family seem overwhelmed as a result of the need to learn new skills?

How does the family seem to function?

Do family members seem to be sensitive to the patient and to each other?

Do family members appear to be able to communicate effectively with each other?

Does the family indicate that they have the ability to accept help from others when it is needed?

How open does the family seem to teaching?

Do key family members have the ability to make effective decisions?

What experience does the family have in handling crisis situations?

How did the family react to crises in the past and what resources did they use to help them?

What is the family's understanding of the current health care problem?

What do they think has caused the health care problem?

Why do they think the problem occurred now?

What do they think the illness does to the patient?

How severe do they believe the illness is?

What kind of treatment do they think the patient should receive?

What are the most important results they think the patient should obtain from the treatment?

What are the major problems the illness has caused for the family?

What do they fear most about the situation?

What are the patient and family's teaching needs?

What do the patient and family think are the most important things they need to know?

Do the patient and family know others with the same health care problem?

Do the patient and family understand and agree with the treatment plan?

Are there any physical or cognitive limitations that will be barriers to learning?

Are the patient and family willing to negotiate goals with the health care team?

Are the patient's perceptions about what to do similar to the family's point of view?

Source: Rankin, S.H., & Stallings, K.D. (1996). Patient Education: Issues, Principles, Practices, 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven, 128-129.
Strategies for teaching family members

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It is vital to take time to assess the family's structure and style in order to formulate an effective teaching plan. Getting to know your patient's family and the role they will play in health care management will save a great deal of time in the long run.