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4.3. Staying Healthy
While not often considered a strategy for finding work or attending school, keeping yourself healthy and proactively accessing the resources available to you for healthcare (both physical and mental health) is a responsibility you have to yourself and your family.
As with all other veterans benefits available through VA, eligibility and application is required (for the purposes of VA health benefits and services, a person who served in the active military service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable is an eligible veteran). Comprehensive VA health benefits include preventative care, health promotion and disease prevention, inpatient care, specialty care, and more.
- The VA has developed a Veterans Health Benefits Guide to provide veterans general information about the VA Medical Benefits Package. The information in the Veterans Health Benefits Guide reflects the benefits and services available.
- More information about VA Healthcare Services and how to protect your health can be found on its website.
- The National Resource Directory's health section offers information and resources on health-related issues, treatment options, locations of medical facilities, insurance programs, and tips on staying healthy.
Vet Centers offer readjustment counseling and a wide range of psychosocial services offered to eligible veterans and their families in the effort to make a successful transition from military to civilian life. To find the Vet Center services nearest to you, visit https://www.va.gov/find-locations/?facilityType=vet_center or call 877-WAR-VETS (927-8387)
Vet Center services include the following:
- Individual and group counseling for veterans and their families
- Family counseling for military related issues
- Bereavement counseling for families who experience an active duty death
- Military sexual trauma counseling and referral
- Substance abuse assessment and referral
- Employment assessment and referral
- VA benefits explanation and referral
- Screening and referral for medical issues including traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, etc.