Part 3: Bridging the Gap: Connecting Veterans to Mental Health Resources*
By Rachel M. Sasser, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC, CNE & Shannon S. Layton, DNP, RN, LICSW-S,
NEA-BC, CNL, CWCN, CNE
Years of repeated deployments, frequent training, temporary duty assignments, stressful schedules, and losing fellow servicemembers all create immense psychosocial strain for veterans. Rural veterans are at higher risk for impediments to care due to distance, transportation, and stigma. As a rural nurse, it is advantageous to have a concise, verified set of resources you can activate immediately, along with a short list of evidence-based options for recommended treatment. This third installment of Bridging the Gap provides additional mental health resources you can use for Veteran Care Transitions. The resources below are accessible to veterans, and the crisis services do not require Veterans Affairs (VA) enrollment. They are grounded in VA and Department of Defense (DoD) clinical practice guidelines and peer-reviewed evidence (Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder Work Group, 2023; Psychological Health Center of Excellence [PHCoE], 2023). Table 1 provides categories, names of resources, how to access them, and the purpose for each of them below.
Immediate Crisis Support
If a veteran is in distress, connect them to the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then Press 1; Text 838255; or Chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. Support is confidential and available 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week, even if the veteran is not enrolled in VA (Veterans Crisis Line, n.d.-a; Veterans Crisis Line, n.d.-b). Encourage the creation of a brief Safety Planning Intervention that lists warning signs, coping steps, supportive contacts, professional help, and lethal means safety. In VA emergency settings, this approach has halved suicidal behavior and more than doubled treatment engagement at six months compared with usual care (Stanley et al., 2018). Veterans can also contact their nearest Community-Based Outpatient Clinic/VA clinic. Many can provide same-day help through walk-in or telehealth services. You can contact by dialing 988 and Press 1, Text at 838255, or CHAT at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/Chat
Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Care
VA and DoD guidelines recommend individual, manualized trauma-focused psychotherapy over medication when feasible. The therapies rated strongly are Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder Work Group, 2023; PHCoE, 2023). If travel is difficult, ask the local VA facility about secure video delivery of these therapies. Nurses can also direct veterans to Vet Centers, which are community-based and confidential. Services include counseling for PTSD, depression, grief, family and marital concerns, and support for military sexual trauma (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025d). You can either contact a Vet Center Call Center at 877-927-8387 or at https://www.vetcenter.va.gov.
Depression and Sleep
For mild to moderate depression, the VA and DoD guideline supports patient preferred psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, interpersonal therapy, problem solving therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness based cognitive therapy (Military Health System, 2025). Sleep problems are common and clinically important. The CBT-i Coach and Insomnia Coach mobile apps are free, self-guided tools with veteran-specific evidence supporting feasibility, acceptability, and improvement in sleep outcomes (Koffel et al., 2016; Kuhn et al., 2022). Sleep apnea is more common among veterans and should be routinely screened for. You can access by searching your smartphone app store for CBT-i Coach and Insomnia Coach.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Substance use is common and may reflect an attempt to cope with stressors. Screen routinely using validated tools and use non-stigmatizing language. The VA and DoD guideline provides an evidence-based framework for screening and treatment (The Management of Substance Use Disorders Work Group, 2021). When indicated, arrange a warm handoff to the nearest VA SUD program and ask whether contingency management (an effective behavioral intervention, particularly for stimulant use disorder) is available (VA News, 2019). You can contact by calling MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 to locate VA SUD services by zip code
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Support
VA provides free treatment for any condition related to MST. Reporting or documentation from the military is not required. Each VA medical center has an MST Coordinator, and MST care is also available through Vet Centers (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025b; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025c; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025d). Contact for this service by asking for the MST Coordinator at your local VA medical center via MyVA411 800-698-2411 or call Vet Centers at 877-927-8387.
Self-Management and Stigma Reduction
For veterans not ready to engage in formal treatment, recommend Make the Connection for peer narratives, education, and links to local supports. Consider PTSD Coach as a low-barrier, evidence-supported self-management option with trial data showing symptom improvements compared with waitlist controls (Make the Connection, 2025; Kuhn et al., 2017). Seek these services by visiting https://www.maketheconnection.net and search app stores for PTSD Coach.
Practical Tips for Rural Activation
Place crisis contacts in the chart, on a wallet card, and complete a brief safety plan. Revisit lethal means safety in supportive, patient-centered language (Veterans Crisis Line, n.d.-a; Stanley et al., 2018).
Leverage telehealth and Vet Centers to reduce travel barriers for trauma-focused therapies (Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder Work Group, 2023; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025d).
Use MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 to locate MST, SUD, and mental health services nearest to the veteran (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025a).
Offer evidence-based apps such as PTSD Coach and CBT-i Coach or Insomnia Coach while arranging clinical follow-up (Koffel et al., 2016; Kuhn et al., 2017; Kuhn et al., 2022).
If a veteran is already established with the VA, they can ask their VA team to place a Community Care referral for mental health services closer to home if they meet eligibility criteria.
References
Koffel, E., Kuhn, E., Petsoulis, N., Erbes, C. R., Anders, S., Hoffman, J. E., Ruzek, J. I., &
Polusny, M. A. (2016). A randomized controlled pilot study of CBT-i Coach: Feasibility,
acceptability, and potential impact of a mobile phone application for patients in cognitive
behavioral therapy for insomnia. Health Informatics Journal, 24(1), 3-13.
https://doi/org/10.1177/1460458216656472
Kuhn, E., Kanuri, N., Hoffman, J. E., Garvert, D. W., Ruzek, J. I., & Taylor, C. B. (2017). A
randomized controlled trial of a smartphone app for posttraumatic stress disorder
symptoms. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(3), 267-273.
https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000163
Kuhn, E., Miller, K. E., Puran, D., Wielgosz, J., York Williams, S. L., Owen, J. E., Jaworski, B.
K., Hallenbeck, H. W., McCaslin, S. E., & Taylor, K. L. (2022). A pilot randomized
controlled trial of the insomnia coach mobile app to assess its feasibility, acceptability,
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Make the Connection. (2025). Connect with stories of help and hope.
https://www.maketheconnection.net/
Military Health System. (2025). Major depressive disorder clinical support tools. Health.mil.
https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Centers-of-Excellence/Psychological-Health-
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025a, September 23). Helpful VA phone numbers.
https://www.va.gov/resources/helpful-va-phone-numbers/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025b, February 27). Military sexual trauma (MST).
https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/military-sexual-trauma/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025c, September 18). Military sexual trauma.
https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome/treatment.asp
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025d, October 6). Vet Centers (readjustment counseling)
https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/
Veterans Crisis Line. (n.d.-a). 24/7 confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Veterans Crisis Line. (n.d.-b). What is 988. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/about/what-is-988/
The Management of Substance Use Disorders Work Group. (2021). VA/DoD clinical practice
guideline for the management of substance use disorders, Version 5.0. Department of
Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense.
https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/sud/VA-DoD-SUD-CPG_Final_for-
508_v3.pdf
Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder Work Group. (2023).
VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of posttraumatic stress disorder
and acute stress disorder, Version 4.0. Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of
Defense. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/VA-DoD-CPG-PTSD-
Full-CPG-Edited-111624-V5-81825.pdf
VA News. (2019, August 22). How VA uses contingency management to help Veterans stay drug
free. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://news.va.gov/64870/how-va-uses-
contingency-management-help-veterans-stay-drug-free/
