Veterans, military personnel and their families

The experiences of veterans, military personnel and their families can be stressful for many reasons. While the information in the Recovery web pages can be helpful to everyone, including veterans, sometimes it is important to talk to people who understand your experience.

Stress and trauma are known risk factors for mental illness.

The King County Veterans Program helps honorably discharged, low income veterans and their families living in King County with financial assistance and services, including mental health and trauma counseling.  Services are also available to military personnel and their families.

Voters in King County passed the Veterans and Human Services Levy to fund a variety of additional housing and supportive services to help veterans, military personnel and their families and other individuals and families in need across the county.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also has resources for Service members, veterans and their families.

The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) provides many benefits to veterans and their families. The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health calls for a transformation of the mental health system to partner with consumers of those services in delivering effective interventions focused on recovery. The VA has developed a Mental Health Strategic Plan addressing these recommendations.