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VA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment

Key Points:

  • Many veterans suffer from co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.
  • Over 1.1 million veterans have struggled with both co-occurring substance use and mental disorders in 2020.
  • Several different insurance options exist for veterans that aren’t available to the general public.
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed Yoga, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Family Support are some of the holistic interventions to help you overcome all of your mental health and substance abuse concerns.

The Mission

Your mission is completed. You did the job you were paid to do. And we salute you. 

But, now that you’re home, you may be left with a drug or alcohol addiction you can’t control. There’s no more chain of command, no more structure, nobody to force you to get out of your bed and get moving. Whether you’re struggling with alcohol use, opioid addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or any other co-occurring disorders, we want to ensure you get the help you need. 

Over 1.1 million veterans have struggled with both co-occurring substance use and mental disorders in 2020.[1]

You put some skin in the game by defending the national interests of our country. Let us do the same by offering treatment that is specifically designed for veterans and active military personnel.

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Insurance for VeteransSeeking Substance Abuse & Mental Health Treatment

If you’re a veteran contemplating rehab, do not let the specter of high cost impede regaining control of your life. There is no higher return on investment than an investment you make in yourself.

Fortunately, there are insurance coverage and VA health care options available exclusively for veterans and active military personnel, which make seeking VA substance abuse and mental health treatment more affordable.

VA Insurance Program

VA Insurance is the premier insurance program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

If you currently serve or used to serve in the US military, you are eligible for VA insurance. VA insurance is good for treating illnesses and injuries, preventing future health problems, improving your ability to function, and enhancing your quality of life.

If you need rehab due to an addiction you formed during your service or was made worse by your service, you could qualify for reimbursement.

TriCare

Tricare is managed by the Defense Health Agency and covers healthcare services for veterans that are medically necessary and considered proven.

As part of the federal government, its mission is to foster, protect, sustain, and restore the health of military members.

TriWest

TriWest is the only private company with the singular purpose of meeting the healthcare needs of the military and veteran communities. The Department of Veterans Affairs contracts with TriWest to provide patient-centered community care and veterans’ choice programs.

They allow veterans to access comprehensive rehabilitation services, residential care, and behavioral healthcare.

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Comprehensive Substance Abuse & Mental Health Treatment for Veterans and Active Military:

Even if they stopped to try, civilians wouldn’t understand what you went through.

That’s why the Heights Treatment Center isn’t going to treat you like one. We offer highly personalized military-specific addiction treatment plans that address everything from substance abuse to trauma, to PTSD, to depression and anxiety.

We offer comprehensive substance abuse and mental health treatment programs offered exclusively for veterans and active military personnel. Combining rehab and therapy, we offer veterans the choice between

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Individualized Intensive Program (IIP)

IIP is ideal for patients transitioning from a higher level of treatment or an inpatient program. This program offers evidence-based modalities and an integrative approach, but patients still have the flexibility to balance their recovery with responsibilities at work, home, or school.

IIP Houston
IIP Los Angeles

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

A PHP is an intensive level of outpatient care that’s ideal for patients transitioning from a residential treatment program or IIP. Patients still have the flexibility to tend to work, home, or school but benefit from a structured environment for treatment and care in our welcoming rehab center in Houston.

PHP Houston
PHP Los Angeles

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Our IOP is a good fit for patients who have completed IIP or inpatient treatment but may need more rigorous care than an outpatient program. This program can help patients who have taken the first step toward recovery on their own and need more long-term support, treatment, and accountability.

IOP Houston
IOP Los Angeles

Outpatient
Program (OP)

Mental health treatment programs provide evidence-based behavioral health therapy and psychiatry. A positive community of peer support, family therapy sessions, and a compassionate staff with an individualized, strategic plan. Patients learn skills like positive awareness, coping skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness in regular therapy sessions.

OP Houston
OP Los Angeles

Alcohol Addiction Treatment for Veterans

30% of active duty personnel report binge drinking.[2] This coping behavior is difficult to quit when the mission is complete.

If you’re a veteran who needs military-specific alcohol rehab programs in VA inpatient rehab centers, then we can assist you. We combine evidence-based approaches and support systems that address the specific needs and experiences of veterans.

We combine the pharmacotherapy of medicine like Naltrexone with psychotherapy like CBT to understand the deeper roots of your behavior, what your behavior meant in the context of the military, and what that behavior could mean now that you’re on the outside.

We seek to replace negative emotions or behaviors with more realistic and objective ones.

VA Drug Alcohol Addiction Treatment Services
VA Alcohol addiction treatment services

Drug Addiction Treatment for Veterans

10% of veterans report a substance use disorder (SUD).[3] This often follows an injury sustained while in uniform, which becomes an addiction.

Fortunately, veteran drug and alcohol treatment centers like ours can help you with your substance use disorder. We offer compassionate medication-assisted treatment during detox from your SUD that gives you the most painless experience we are capable of giving.

Like alcohol addiction treatment, we always pair pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy like CBT or DBT. We want to work on new ways of thinking that complement your goal of sobriety.

VA Insurance Details for Addiction Treatment

Each VA insurance provider will have unique coverage details and benefits offered. If you need specific details, call your providers and ask about your addiction treatment eligibility criteria, coverage limitations, and how to use insurance benefits.

VA Insurance Program

If you need hospital care, medical services, or extended care services for addiction treatment, you could be reimbursed up to the maximum allowable rate.

Talk to your primary care doctor and ask them to screen you for any addiction or mental disorder you are suffering from. After they make a diagnosis, they can refer you to a treatment center or you can find one on your own.

TriCare

Does TriCare cover drug rehab? Yes! Does TriCare cover inpatient rehab? Double yes!

Military Tricare coverage for alcohol and drug addiction treatment works as long as the interventions are medically necessary and considered proven.

They cover expenses for psychiatric residential treatment centers if you are under 21 years old, have a primary diagnosis other than a substance use disorder, have difficulty functioning normally, outpatient services alone have proven ineffective, don’t need full-time hospital care, or are following a treatment plan transition.

TriCare even has overseas medical plans.

TriWest

TriWest is not exactly an insurance plan, so it doesn’t “cover” rehab. But, it does serve as a “manager” of local healthcare services.

If you need addiction rehab and have VA benefits, you could access it through TriWest’s network. Then, your military benefits would be applied to your healthcare. Before you sign up for a rehab program, talk to a TriWest representative to confirm your benefits and coverage.

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Veteran-Friendly Drug Rehab Facilities Near Me

Wondering where a VA-approved rehab center near me is? We’ve got you covered.

At Heights Treatment, we have two conveniently located drug rehab and alcohol addiction treatment facilities in Houston and Los Angeles that are conveniently located for veterans and active military personnel.

Houston – Active Military Alcohol Rehab near EFD

Only 30 minutes away from EFD is the Heights Houston Drug Rehab and Mental Health Treatment Center. We offer a welcoming and supportive environment to active-duty members of the military and to veterans tailored specifically to their needs.

Flexibility and comfort are our mantra here.

We want to make sure you are as well-supported as humanly possible during the time you spend with us. We are on a mission to be the premier veteran drug rehab facility in Houston.

Los Angeles – Active Military Alcohol Rehab near LA-AFB

Only 17 minutes away (does it get any more incredible than that?!?) from LA-AFB is our Los Angeles Drug and Mental Health Treatment Center. You can hardly drive down the street in 17 minutes, let alone get where you need to go in LA.

Even though we are in the middle of LA sprawl, we still manage to keep our campus looking fresh. It’s been newly renovated, so you’ll enjoy living here.

Our intensive outpatient program runs 3-5 days a week.

Support Services for Veterans and Active Duty Military

Several of our therapies are well-situated to provide the structure veterans need when they enter our program. We don’t just choose one therapy for you. We eschew the “one-size-fits-all” approach, and we will iterate until we find a program that produces results for you.

Our therapies are well-situated to address trauma, PTSD, and other military-related issues:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Patients learn to identify and replace negative thought patterns, as well as behaviors, with objective, more realistic ones.
  • Trauma-Informed Yoga: Here, patients build a new relationship with their body by connecting with their parasympathetic nervous system. While trauma dissociates body and soul, yoga will bring them back together.
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): By using bilateral stimulation, patients release penned-up emotional experiences using the opposite side of their brain.
  • Family Support: While a soldier’s unit was their stand-in family while on active duty, their biological family unit will be the closest thing they can have to that level of companionship after the mission ends.

This therapy looks at the family as an integral part of addiction recovery and involves restoring or establishing healthy communication styles, boundaries, and coping skills.

Contact Information and Assistance

If you or a loved one have served your country and need assistance with alcohol use or substance abuse recovery, we can help. Call Heights Treatment at our toll-free phone number today: 866-975-0594.

One of our staff members will answer any further questions you may have with complete confidence and discretion. You will always be your best advocate. Call us today, and we’ll begin the recovery process together.

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Sources:

[1] Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United … – samhsa. (n.d.). https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt35325/NSDUHFFRPDFWHTMLFiles2020/2020NSDUHFFR1PDFW102121.pdf

[2][3] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, April 13). Substance use and military life drugfacts. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-use-military-life