How to get substance use treatment as a veteran — VA SUD programs, medication options, Vet Centers, the SAMHSA helpline and what to do in an overdose or withdrawal emergency
VA provides a full range of substance use treatment for problems from unhealthy alcohol use to life-threatening addiction: medically managed detoxification, drug substitution and craving-reduction medicines (methadone and buprenorphine for opioid addiction, among others), nicotine replacement and other tobacco-cessation medicines, short-term outpatient counseling, intensive outpatient treatment, marriage and family counseling, self-help groups, residential care, continuing care and relapse prevention, special programs for women, returning combat veterans and homeless veterans, and treatment for related conditions such as PTSD and depression. The VA health care program covers these services, so the first step is to enroll; a VA primary care provider can screen and refer you, or you can find a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program, call 800-827-1000, or contact your VA medical center directly. Veterans without VA health care can get assessment and counseling at Vet Centers, help through the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, or a referral from SAMHSA's free, confidential helpline.
What you'll need
- VA health care enrollment (VA Form 10-10EZ) or your existing VA primary care provider
- VA general information line 800-827-1000, or your VA medical center's SUD program
- SAMHSA National Helpline 800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7, English and Spanish)
- Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255
Step-by-step
Step 1: Emergencies first
For an overdose, severe withdrawal (seizures, confusion, hallucinations), or someone who cannot be woken, call 911. Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can be medically dangerous; do not stop suddenly after heavy, long-term use without medical supervision — VA and hospital emergency departments provide medically managed detoxification. If you are thinking about suicide or in emotional crisis, dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net; the Veterans Crisis Line is open to everyone, enrolled or not. Naloxone reverses opioid overdoses; VA provides it to veterans at risk and to their families.
Step 2: Get into VA care
Apply for VA health care online, by phone at 877-222-8387, or in person; the PACT Act expanded eligibility for veterans exposed to toxins and all who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan or any post-9/11 combat zone. Once enrolled, tell your VA primary care provider about your substance use — they screen for substance use problems and related conditions such as PTSD and depression and refer you to treatment. If you have never been seen at VA, find a Substance Use Disorder program near you, call 800-827-1000, or contact your local VA medical center; veterans of OEF, OIF or OND can ask for the OEF/OIF/OND coordinator.
Reference: https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/substance-use-problems/
Step 3: Know the treatment options
Medication: medically managed detoxification to stop safely and get stable; drug substitution therapies and newer medicines to reduce cravings, including methadone and buprenorphine for opioid addiction; nicotine replacement and other medicines to stop tobacco use. Counseling and therapy: short-term outpatient counseling, intensive outpatient treatment, marriage and family counseling, self-help groups, residential (live-in) care, and continuing care and relapse prevention. VA also runs special programs for women veterans, returning combat veterans and homeless veterans, and treats co-occurring PTSD and depression. Ask about medication for alcohol or opioid use disorder if it is not offered — it is part of VA care.
Reference: https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/substance-use-problems/
Step 4: Options without VA health care
Vet Centers provide substance use assessment and referral, individual and group counseling, and family counseling to eligible veterans and service members — those who served in a combat theater, experienced military sexual trauma and other categories — without VA enrollment, with records kept separately from VA medical records; call 877-927-8387 any time. The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, 877-424-3838, connects veterans who are homeless or at risk to VA homeless programs, health care and local services, 24 hours a day. VA Community Resource and Referral Centers help veterans find non-VA resources even if they do not qualify for VA health care. Veterans with other than honorable discharges can still receive care for substance use and other mental health problems; call 800-827-1000 to learn your options.
Step 5: Community treatment and peer support
SAMHSA's National Helpline, 800-662-4357, is a free, confidential, 24-hour treatment referral and information service in English and Spanish for anyone facing substance use or mental health problems; it can locate local programs, including those that accept your insurance or offer sliding-scale fees. Peer recovery groups — Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery and others — have meetings everywhere and many veteran-specific meetings. VA's Make the Connection site shares veterans' own stories of recovery and links to local resources.
Reference: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Critical tips
- Treating PTSD or depression and substance use together is standard in VA programs; tell the provider about both.
- Family members can call the Veterans Crisis Line, SAMHSA, or VA's Coaching Into Care line (888-823-7458) for help encouraging a veteran into treatment.
- Tobacco: VA offers counseling plus nicotine replacement and other medicines, and the Quit VET line at 855-784-8838.
- A substance use disorder that began in service, or is secondary to a service-connected condition such as PTSD, may be part of a compensation claim; a county veterans service officer can advise: warriorsfund.org/find-cvso.