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GUIDE TO VA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES for Veterans and Families
Some wounds are invisible.It takes the strength and courage of a warrior to ask for help.
■ decreased energy, motivation, or interests
■ problems with attention, concentration, or memory
■ irritability, anger, or “short temper”
■ feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness
■ unhealthy behaviors (misusing drugs, alcohol, food, sex, or other behaviors
like gambling or spending too much money to cope with stress or emotions)
■ problems functioning at home, work, or school
e most important thing to remember is to talk with your primary care or mental
health provider when you notice new symptoms or problems. Your health care team
can help you gure out what’s going on and what to do about it.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU REQUEST MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
ere are many VA health care providers trained to help Veterans with mental
health problems. A Veteran who feels anxious or depressed, may be drinking too
much, has nightmares about combat, or feels something just isn’t right, should start
by talking with a primary care provider. e primary care provider, who may be a
doctor, nurse, or counselor, will listen and oer support. e primary care provider
may start medication and will help the Veteran manage the problem. In other cases,
the primary care provider may refer the Veteran to a mental health specialist – that
is, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, or other behavioral health specialist. At medical
centers and very large CBOCs, the Veteran may be seen the same day by a mental
health specialist working in the primary care clinic. If the Veteran is being seen in a
smaller CBOC or if the Veteran needs more comprehensive care, the Veteran will be
referred to a mental health specialty clinic for an appointment within 14 days. e
mental health specialist will talk with the Veteran to understand more about what
is going on in the Veteran’s life. e specialist will help identify the problem and
recommend treatment that might include medications, talk therapies (also called
psychotherapies), social support services, etc. Family members may participate in
treatment planning if desired by the Veteran. Veterans already receiving outpatient
care in a mental health specialty clinic will be seen immediately for emergencies.
MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IN VA
VA oers a range of treatments and services to improve the mental health of
Veterans. Exercise, good nutrition, good overall physical health, and enjoyable
social activities are linked to positive mental health. Some VAs oer help for coping
with stress, such as relaxation exercises. For Veterans with serious mental illness,
VA oers care tailored to help with their specic problem and to promote recovery.
Serious mental illnesses include a variety of diagnoses (for example, schizophrenia,
depression or bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and substance
use disorders [drugs or alcohol, or illegal substances]) that result in signicant
problems functioning in the community. ese problems are oen treated with
medications and individual or group psychotherapy (talk therapy). Programs that
provide peer support are also very important. Treatments and services for these
disorders are provided in a variety of settings. e next two sections describe
the types of treatment settings within VA and the types of treatments for specic
mental illnesses provided by VA.