Mental Health and well-being are an important part of our overall health. Mental Health can affect your physical health and requires treatment just like any other part of your body. According to the Mental Health Association of Maryland, about 20% of the population suffers from a mental illness in a given year. Benefits.gov supports mental health awareness and sharing resources provided by our partner agencies to help citizens in need.
In this article, you’ll learn about programs for our nation’s Veterans and their families offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that help provide Veterans with access to quality mental health care.
Mental Health Services for Veterans
The VA provides Mental Health Services for a range of mental health conditions, including treatment for substance abuse disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and serious mental illness.
Generally, to receive Mental Health Services, you must be:
- Enrolled in the VA health care system (Basic Medical Package for Veterans).
- Have a discharge status other than dishonorable in some cases individuals with undesirable, bad conduct, and other types of dishonorable discharges may qualify for VA benefits).
If you have a mental health problem that the VA has rated service-connected or are seeking treatment for a mental or physical health condition related to military sexual trauma, you don’t need to enroll.
Visit the VA’s Mental Health page to find mental health resources and treatment options filtered by topic. You can also browse resources for specific types of Veterans, including women Veterans, LGBTQ+ Veterans, family member or friend, transitioning service member, and more.
Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs
The Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs provide residential rehabilitative and clinical care to Veterans who need help with mental health and substance use disorders, co-occurring medical conditions, homelessness, and unemployment.
Within this bundle of programs, Veterans may access the Domiciliary PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PTSD-RRTP). PTSD-RRTP provides residential care to Veterans with PTSD including services for Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma. This program provides a 24/7 therapeutic setting using both professional and peer support. Treatment focuses on the Veteran’s needs, abilities, strengths, and preferences.
Eligibility requirements include enrollment in the VA health care system and discharge from service must be anything other than dishonorable. For more detailed eligibility requirements, view the program page on Benefits.gov.
Additional Mental Health Resources for Veterans
The VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Guidebook provides information on mental health services offered on both a national and local level.
Find more information on VA benefits on the VA Agency page on Benefits.gov. Visit the Military: Active Duty and Veterans category of benefits and the Military: Active Duty and Veterans category of news for more resources. Take the Benefit Finder questionnaire to find additional government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
