If you’re a veteran grappling with addiction, you’ll find a myriad of treatment possibilities to aid in your recovery journey. In particular, inpatient rehab programs tailored to veterans can be a valuable resource. These programs offer a structured daily routine, removing veterans from the stressors and triggers of everyday life, creating a supportive recovery environment. 

What to Seek in Veteran Rehab Facilities

When on the hunt for the right treatment program, keep these crucial factors in mind:

• Accreditation: Prioritize inpatient rehab programs that have earned accreditation. This signifies that the facility meets or exceeds rigorous quality standards, ensuring top-notch services.
• Qualified Staff: Opt for a facility with credentialed treatment staff, including psychologists, clinical social workers and physicians with training in addiction treatment. While support staff may not always have credentials, the core treatment team overseeing your care should possess the necessary education and licensure in addiction treatment.
• Dual Diagnosis Services: Look for inpatient rehab programs that offer dual diagnosis services, which can address both addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders concurrently. This is especially crucial for veterans, given that research indicates that 55%–68% of veterans with symptoms of PTSD also battle alcohol addiction. This underscores the significance of dual diagnosis treatment for veterans. 
• Therapy Options: Given the high prevalence of PTSD in veterans and its link to addiction, veterans should seek out inpatient rehab programs that provide specialized therapies for treating PTSD. Programs offering cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure therapy and EMDR have demonstrated effectiveness in treating PTSD. 

Types of Veteran Inpatient Rehab Programs

Diverse types of veteran inpatient rehab programs exist. Some programs exclusively cater to veterans, enabling you to undergo treatment alongside peers who share similar experiences and challenges. Others may offer trauma-informed services to both veterans and non-veteran patients, fostering an inclusive environment.

Available programs can also vary in duration. Short-term inpatient programs typically span 14-28 days, while longer-term options may extend to three months. Veterans dealing with severe addiction or lacking supportive, safe housing in the community may find longer-term inpatient care more beneficial.

Finding Veteran-Centric Inpatient Rehab

Veterans seeking inpatient rehab programs can benefit from facilities offering veteran-centric care. This could involve programs exclusively for veterans or facilities treating both veteran and non-veteran populations while tailoring programming to meet the unique needs of veterans.

You can find veteran-centric inpatient care through the VA, which offers an array of resources for veterans grappling with substance abuse. The VA provides inpatient care, medical detox, medication-assisted treatment and outpatient services. 

The Comprehensive Veteran Addiction Plan

Inpatient addiction rehab for veterans provides each patient with a comprehensive treatment plan.  This begins with an assessment during which the treatment center’s staff gather information about your medical history, addiction-related symptoms and other essential details, including your service history, family background and living situation.

Following the assessment, the treatment team crafts a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to address the specific concerns that led you to seek rehab. This plan outlines your goals and the services required to achieve them. Veterans may initiate their journey with medical detox to manage withdrawal symptoms, followed by other services such as individual therapy, group therapy, support groups and medication management.

Upon completing their inpatient care, veterans should collaborate with their treatment team to develop an aftercare plan. This plan delineates the services that veterans will continue to participate in upon returning home. For instance, veterans may receive outpatient counseling services and attend support groups to prevent relapse.

Tailoring Treatment to Veterans’ Needs

Treatment plans for veterans should be customized to address their specific needs, considering the unique challenges they face. These challenges, stemming from stress related to deployment, combat exposure and reintegration into civilian life, often contribute to addiction. 

A Collaborative Approach to Veteran Rehab

Quality veteran rehab programs adopt a collaborative approach to treatment, with multiple professionals working in concert to meet your needs. This team may comprise a doctor responsible for medication management, a therapist conducting individual sessions to address coping mechanisms and a case manager coordinating your services. Think of these team members as akin to the various specialties within the military, all working together towards the shared objective of aiding your recovery from addiction.

Effective Therapies for Veterans

Veteran addiction programs typically offer a blend of individual and group therapy. Several trauma-informed approaches have demonstrated effectiveness for veterans:

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): CPT, a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy, assists individuals in identifying negative thoughts related to trauma and replacing them with healthier thought patterns over time.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR aids patients in reprocessing trauma by incorporating eye movements or hand taps while recalling traumatic memories, reducing psychological disruption caused by trauma.
• Prolonged Exposure (PE): PE requires patients to confront trauma memories in a safe clinical setting, assisting them in changing their reactions to these memories.

Peer Support in Veteran Rehab

Peer support groups play a pivotal role in veteran addiction treatment. During these support group sessions, veterans can foster camaraderie and learn from peers who have encountered similar challenges.

Utilizing VA Health Insurance: The Community Care Network

Occasionally, veterans may prefer to attend an inpatient rehab program unaffiliated with a VA medical facility. In such cases, veterans can access services through the Community Care Network (CCN) if they possess VA health insurance. The VA will cover the treatment costs, provided pre-authorization for services is obtained.

Navigating the VA Community Care Process

When opting for VA CCN benefits for inpatient rehab, it’s imperative to follow the proper steps to secure VA coverage for your treatment:

• Engage in a discussion with your VA doctor to initiate the “consult creation and review” process, wherein your doctor refers you to the inpatient treatment center. This consult request is forwarded to the Community Care department for review.
• Following approval from the Community Care department, they will contact you and reach out to the inpatient treatment provider to verify their network status. They will also schedule your initial appointment.
• The VA will authorize your appointment and furnish you with a letter detailing the approved duration of care and the types of treatment available.
• You can commence your treatment and continue care for the authorized duration. If you require care beyond the initial approval, you’ll need to seek re-authorization.

Finding Nearby Veteran Inpatient Rehab: 10 Questions to Consider

When pursuing quality veteran addiction treatment, ponder these ten questions before selecting an inpatient facility:

• Do you accept VA insurance?
• What is the program’s duration?
• What therapy services are provided?
• Do you offer veteran-specific treatment?
• Is your facility exclusive to veterans, or do you admit non-veterans as well?
• What trauma-informed services are available?
• Do you provide on-site medical detox?
• Are you accredited?
• Who comprises the treatment team?
• If non-veterans are part of the program, will they join support groups for veterans?

Gathering answers to these questions will aid in determining whether a specific treatment program aligns with your needs and preferences. Programs accepting your insurance, offering veteran-specific treatment and providing trauma-informed services typically cater well to veterans. Additionally, insights into the composition of your treatment team and the program’s duration will further assist you in making an informed choice.

FORTITUDE: A Specialized Rehab Track for Veterans and First Responders

Veteran-centric inpatient rehab programs furnish specialized treatment tailored to the distinctive needs of veterans. At The Recovery Village, we proudly offer the FORTITUDE program, meticulously crafted to provide addiction treatment services to veterans and first responders.

Our licensed staff possesses expertise in trauma-informed therapies, including EMDR. We also facilitate exclusive peer support groups for veterans and first responders. Moreover, we offer co-occurring disorders treatment to address mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD, which often accompany addiction.