Rural Assistance Center
The Rural Assistance Center knows that many returning soldiers and veterans living in rural areas fail to get the help they need because of barriers to healthcare. The primary barrier facing this population is the geographic distance from the nearest VA health facility or some veterans don’t qualify for VA benefits or they are unaware of the benefits, services, and facilities available to them. Therefore, numerous cases of chronic and acute mental and physical conditions remain untreated. Many returning soldiers and veterans also face poverty, substance abuse, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in addition to numerous physical impairments. VA health facilities address these issues by developing partnerships with area community health clinics and hospitals to deliver care via telemedicine, mobile VA clinics, and community-based outpatient clinics. More and more, the VA also depends on non-profit, veteran service organizations to help care for the growing population of returning soldiers and veterans in need of healthcare.
Resources:
- Has links and information regarding Vet Centers and Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) which are community based counseling centers. These centers are staffed by small multi-disciplinary teams of providers, many are combat veterans themselves. Readjustment counseling and outreach services can be found across U.S.
- The site also has a list of experts and organizations that are useful to military veterans.
- The Rural Monitor is the quarterly newsletter of the RAC that focuses on rural health and human services issues.
- Organizes resources by state – includes state contacts, organizations, tools, maps, funding, documents, success stories and news.