Information Resources for Veterans

VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Use Opioids in the Management of Chronic Pain

Offers evidence-based information, recommendations, guides, and tools to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) healthcare providers and patients to assist in the decision making process to improve the health and treatment of patients with chronic pain. Includes information and algorithms for determining the appropriateness, risks, duration, and frequency of opioid therapy to prioritize safe and effective opioid prescribing practices.

Date: 2022
Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Veterans Employment Toolkit

Toolkit sharing resources and services for employers, supervisors, and human resource professionals regarding the veteran workforce, their military experiences, and the benefits of hiring veterans. Includes information to help veterans find and obtain jobs as well as resources and support to retain employment.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
HUD Exchange Rural Gateway

Serves as an information clearinghouse on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, services, resources, tools, and training to support housing and economic development in rural and underserved areas, including tribal populations and veterans. Offers individual technical assistance and peer learning opportunities. Includes detailed case studies of successful programs and information on rural programs HUD previously funded.

Sponsor: Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)

Provides information on methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone and how they are used to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). Covers the signs of an overdose and answers questions about each medication.

Date: 06/2020
Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
MyHealtheVet Overdose Education for Veterans: Learning to Use Naloxone

Offers information and training videos on how to approach the topic of naloxone with individuals taking prescription opioids and with opioid use disorder (OUD). Includes videos demonstrating how to provide training for the 3 types of naloxone kits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), including nasal spray, auto-injector, and intramuscular.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) Resources

Includes links and descriptions for various resources and programs supported by the Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) for training, startup and advanced business counseling, mentorship, and other entrepreneurial services. Assists veterans and service-disabled veterans, service members, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, and their spouses with pursuing small business ownership. Offers information and resources intended to help military entrepreneurs gain access to capital, such as grant money and small business loans.

Sponsor: Small Business Administration (SBA)
Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND)

Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program. Focuses on reducing opioid overdoses and deaths among veterans through education and training for prevention, recognition, rescue response, and naloxone kit use. Includes OEND videos and materials for providers and patients.

Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
Opioid Safety Initiative Toolkit

Toolkit sharing field guidance, resources, and presentations to support clinical decisions about starting, continuing, or tapering opioid therapy, and other challenges related to safe opioid prescribing. Includes patient and provider education, clinical tools, and other resources.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Simple Tools to Aid and Restore (STAR) Well-Kit: Tools for Healing

Toolkit sharing educational videos on wellness practices and integrative medicine tools and techniques for veterans. Covers various topics, including the benefits of wellness practices, veterans' experiences with integrative medicine, and demonstrations of effective techniques such as breathing exercises, guided meditation, yoga, and more.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Summary of VA Substance Use Treatment Options

Provides an overview of treatment options for veterans experiencing substance use issues. Includes information on different therapies, medications to reduce opioid and other substance use, intensive outpatient treatment, residential care, continuing care and relapse prevention, self-help groups, and more.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VA Center for Medication Safety (VA MedSAFE)

Provides instructions for the safe disposal of unwanted and unneeded medications to prevent substance misuse and accidental poisonings. Includes safety tips to keep drugs away from children and pets, ensure proper medication storage, and proper medication disposal. Takes back unused and expired medications and publishes bulletins and alerts with recent news related to medication safety.

Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
VA PBM: Academic Detailing Services (ADS) - Educational Materials

Provides access to education materials developed by the VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services (PBM) Academic Detailing Services (ADS) sharing evidence-based treatments to help providers improve the health of veterans. Offers provider and patient education tools and outreach resources to encourage evidence-based decision making for a variety of medical conditions and diseases, including opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance use disorder (SUD), pain, suicide, dementia, depression, HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.

Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
VA Rural Health Enterprise-Wide Initiatives

Describes the enterprise-wide initiatives currently supported by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Rural Health. Shares the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) national programs to provide healthcare services in VA hospitals and health systems to veterans residing in rural areas across the nation. Outlines programs to address primary care, specialty care, mental health, care coordination, workforce training and education, transportation, and more. Includes virtual training for providers on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery, as well as a pharmacy-based program to increase access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for rural veterans with opioid use disorder.

Sponsor: VHA Office of Rural Health (ORH)
VA Substance Use Resources

Provides an overview of alcohol and drug misuse, screening, treatment options, and programs and services for veterans. Covers evidence-based psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for substance use disorder (SUD), medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) and SUD, opioid overdose, stimulant use disorders, motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, and more. Includes additional resources to help veterans and family members access SUD treatment and recovery support services.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VA Whole Health

Describes a patient-centered approach to healthcare that supports veterans' overall physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness through a personalized health plan and health inventory assessment. Includes veteran-led wellness courses. Offers educational materials, online tools, mobile applications, videos, and resources designed to assist veterans in adopting whole health approaches and for healthcare providers in implementing a whole health perspective in their clinical practices.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Offers evidence-based information, recommendations, guides, and tools for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) healthcare providers and patients to assist in the decision making process to improve the treatment and outcomes for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), methamphetamine use, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Describes best practices to help patients avoid preventable complications, reduce substance use, and improve their overall health and wellness.

Date: 2021
Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VHA Compensated Work Therapy (CWT)

Provides information on compensated work therapy (CWT), a clinical vocational rehabilitation program available at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers to help veterans with mental illness or physical disabilities obtain and maintain employment. Includes information on CWT services available for veterans, CWT benefits, and labor force information for employers.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)