Interagency Resources

This section of the Community Provider Toolkit brings together key resources from the Department of Defense (DoD), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support the behavioral health and wellness of Veterans and their families.

Overview

We are committed to ensuring that the men and women who have served our nation are able to access and connect with resources that support their well-being and ability to thrive. We hope you will explore these key DoD and SAMHSA resources.

Older Veteran Behavioral Health Resource Inventory

This inventory provides an overview of resources for health and social service professionals interested in enhancing their outreach and support for older Veterans who have or are at risk for behavioral health conditions.

Department of Defense Resources (DoD)

The Department of Defense (DoD) oversees the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty, 1.1 million serving in reserve forces, and 856,000 civilian personnel, DoD is the largest U.S. Government agency as well as the world's largest employer. The mission of the Defense Department is to deter war and to protect the security of the United States. As part of its commitment to the health care of each and every Service member and Veteran, DoD provides resource information, services and tools for current and former military Service members and their families.

Military OneSource

As a service provider, you know that reliable, current information on military programs and resources is critical to the comprehensive support of Service members and their families. Consider Military OneSource your official one-stop access point for all the information and resources you need. A range of programs from Moving and Spouse Education to Career Opportunities are covered here.

Topics Customized for Service Providers

Military Families Learning Network

The Military Families Learning Network (MFLN) connects military family service professionals to timely research-based resources and to each other. MFLN engages participants using platforms such as APAN's Adobe Connect, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to learn from experts, share experiences, and develop a highly skilled network of professionals supporting military families around the world. Free continuing education credits are available from many professional associations including AFCPE, NASW, FINCERT, CDR, EITP, and GAMFT.

Programming areas include:

Community Capacity Building
Family Development
Family Transitions
Military Caregiving
Network Literacy
Nutrition and Wellness
Personal Finance

Community Capacity Building Curriculum

Community Capacity Building is a process that builds on the existing strengths and resources of your community rather than focusing on the deficits. The approach has a positive focus on results that better the lives of individuals and families while increasing needed resources for the community. The action-oriented focus encourages involvement by demonstrating success and engaging people from diverse parts of the community. This curriculum highlights the value of community members working together to create positive change. It explains the community capacity building approach to achieve desired results for your civilian and military members.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities and works with our federal partners to address the behavioral health needs of America's Service member - active duty, National Guard, Reserve, and Veterans, along with their families, by leading efforts to ensure that community-based services are accessible, culturally competent, and trauma-informed.

Veterans and Military Families

SAMHSA facilitates innovative community-based solutions that foster access to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for military Service members, veterans, and their families at risk for or experiencing mental and/or substance use disorders by providing state-of-the-art technical assistance, consultation, and training. The Veterans and Military Families page provides an overview of these efforts as well as links to related research and information.

Service members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center

The SMVF TA Center works with states and territories to strengthen their behavioral health systems for Service members, veterans, and their families. This is accomplished through public/private collaborations among federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local agencies, through the following activities:

Monitoring evolving trends in the behavioral health-focused prevention, treatment, and recovery support needs of SMVF and in the challenges faced by states and territories in trying to meet those needs
Providing technical assistance (TA), training, and consultation to teams within states and territories in ways that promote coordination among community, military, and veteran service systems
Identifying, disseminating, and encouraging the adoption of promising, best, and evidence-based practices that support the resilience and emotional health of SMVF, including but not limited to best practices in suicide prevention, mental health, substance use treatment, peer recovery support services, homelessness prevention, justice-involved veterans, and employment
Identifying experts and resources to meet the evolving needs of states and territories related to strengthening behavioral health care systems and services for SMVF
Supporting the planning and implementation of SMVF Policy and Implementation Academies, including the provision of pre- and post-Academy technical assistance

Child Trauma Resources

Military families experience unique life challenges that can put children in stressful situations. The resources here are designed by SAMHSA, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCSTN), and other organizations to help military families and the health professionals who care for them. It provides resources for parents and caregivers, military families, educators and school personnel, and providers in health care and other systems.

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, provides a source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance abuse/addiction and/or mental health problems. The tool can be accessed via phone or through an online search tool.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

SAMHSA’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. By dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255), the call is routed to the nearest crisis center in our national network of more than 150 crisis centers. The Lifeline’s national network of local crisis centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals day and night.

Facts in Focus: Veterans and Substance Abuse Treatment

To help our nation's veterans overcome substance use disorders, review more information and resources at: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/33-clients-treatment-substance-abuse-problem-and-diagnosed-co-occurring-substance-abuse-and

[[1 in 14 Veterans had a substance use disorder last year; Percentage of Veterans with a substance use disorder: 15% Post-2001, 9% 1990-2001, 7% 1975-1990, 5% 1961-1975, 3% pre-1961; For Veteran treatment admissions, alcohol was the #1 problem, much higher than for non-Veteran admissions comparing with heroin and marijuana; 1 in 4 Veterans in substance abuse treatment were homeless in 2013]]