Health Conditions
VA refers to Military Sexual Trauma (MST) as the experiences of sexual harassment and/or sexual assault that occurred while one was in the military. Males and females alike can experience MST. The perpetrator can be of the same or of the opposite gender. Like other types of trauma, MST can negatively impact a person's mental and physical health, even many years later.
The American Legion has addressed MST, its prevention and steps going forward on this important issue through multiple resolutions.
The Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-585) was signed into law after a series of hearings on women veterans' issues by the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in July 1992. The Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 authorized VA to provide outreach and establish MST counseling and treatment programs for women veterans who experienced incidents of sexual trauma while on active duty. The Veterans Health Care Extension Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-452) authorized VA to provide MST counseling and treatment to men as well as women. The Veterans Millennium Health Care Act (Public Law 106-117) expanded the focus on MST programs to include outreach and extended VA's authority to provide MST programs until December 2004. The Veterans Health Program Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-422) extended VA's authority permanently and extended MST counseling and related treatment to veterans whose MST occurred while serving on active duty or active duty for training (as defined under Title 38 United States Code §101(22)) if service was in the National Guard or Reserves.
Following the passage of these public laws, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive 2005-015, Military Sexual Trauma Counseling, March 25, 2005, mandated universal screening of all enrolled veterans for a history of MST and mandated that each VA medical facility appoint an MST Coordinator to oversee the screening and treatment referral process. The directive recommended the use of clinic stop code 524 so that collection of MST treatment data is accessible and consistent across the VA system. Stop codes are identifiers used in VHA's managerial cost accounting system, the Decision Support System (DSS), to indicate the primary clinical group providing the services. DSS is a congressionally-mandated resource management tool. Implementation began throughout VHA in 1994.
VA provides free, confidential counseling and treatment for veterans' mental and physical health conditions resulting from MST that occurred while serving on active duty or active duty for training if service was in the National Guard or Reserves. Veterans do not need to have reported the incident(s) when they happened or have other documentation that they occurred. Appropriate services are provided for any injury, illness, or psychological condition resulting from MST. Veterans do not need to be SC and may be able to receive this benefit even if they are not otherwise eligible for VA health care benefits. Although veterans receiving MST-related counseling and treatment are not billed for inpatient, outpatient, or medication copayments, applicable copayments may be charged for services not related to MST or for other non-SC conditions.
More information and assistance:
For more information regarding military sexual trauma, please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
For help with treatment and health care related to experiences of MST, please contact your local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to the MST Coordinator.
For help with disability compensation related to MST, please contact the MST Coordinator at your local Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a natural reaction to experiencing a traumatic or life-threatening event. For veterans, in particular, stressful traumatic events may include serving in combat zones, participating in peacekeeping missions, training accidents, and medical emergencies. It should be remembered that PTSD stressors can be non-combat related for example Military Sexual Trauma (MST). These events may cause the survivor to exhibit four main groups of symptoms: intrusive memories of the event, avoiding situations that remind you of the event, negative alterations of mood, and hypervigilance.
Exposure to traumatic events can result in significant psychological injury, which when left untreated can have a long term effect on a veteran’s health and well-being. It is important to seek medical care for the symptoms of PTSD because when left untreated they may impact a veteran’s ability to perform day to day functions, interact normally with family and friends, and maintain gainful employment. Without proper and timely treatment, PTSD may become permanent and can lead to other conditions like depression, substance abuse, memory and cognition issues, and other physical and mental health diagnoses.
Help is available. Whether you were in the military many years ago, or of you are still in uniform, there are trained professionals who understand military trauma and PTSD treatment. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has established more than 206 Vet Centers and Sexual Assault Treatment Programs nationwide. The Vet Centers, initially created for Vietnam Veterans, now offer services to Veterans from WWII, Korea, Panama, Lebanon, Grenada, Persian Gulf, Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Vet Centers offer group therapy, bereavement counseling, MST counseling, individual counseling, and marriage and family counseling. Many of the counselors have experienced combat themselves and have a personal understanding of the issues faced by combat veterans.
VA now offers patient centered integrative health services. Through the Integrative Health and Wellness Program, veterans can receive holistic services which aim to support the overall health and wellness of the patient rather than just one symptom. Auricular acupuncture, meditation, yoga, T’ai Chi, wellness massage, nutrition classes, and other programs are available. Your VA provider can submit a Integrative health and Wellness consult.
VA also has inpatient PTSD programs, residential treatment, and day hospital programs. In addition, VA has special programs for substance abuse, homeless veterans, and women's coordinators for female veterans. There are also many private clinicians or not-for-profit agencies that offer specialized treatment for PTSD similar to care provided by VA.
Veterans who are in crisis or have had thoughts of suicide should call the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255, and Press 1, chat online at www.veteranscrisisline.net/chat, or text to 838255. If you know someone at risk, help them get help.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – which has often been called the “signature wound” of Iraq and Afghanistan – may happen from a blow or jolt to the head or an object penetrating the brain. When the brain is injured, the person can experience a change in consciousness that can range from becoming disoriented and confused to slipping into a coma. The person might also have a loss of memory for the time immediately before or after the event that caused the injury. Not all injuries to the head result in a TBI.
TBI can cause various neurological outcomes and diseases and increases a veteran's risk for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Both DoD and VA have acknowledged the lack of research on brain injuries and the difficulties of diagnosing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and TBI because of the co-morbidity of symptoms between the two.
It is essential that servicemembers and veterans are screened for TBI as early as possible, because the similarities between TBI and PTSD become more difficult to treat the longer the condition goes unscreened. To identify veterans who may have TBI, VA medical facilities have implemented a computer-based screening tool and require providers at VA medical facilities to use the tool to screen all veterans, including all OEF/OIF/OND who present for outpatient health care. This screening tool consists of a series of questions that VA providers are required to ask veterans, especially those from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND), when seeking care at a VA medical facility.
To better understand the impact of TBI injuries, The American Legion convened a TBI and PTSD committee in 2010 “to investigate existing science and procedures and alternative methods for treating TBI and PTSD.” To obtain additional information about the committee and the work they are involved in, go to: http://www.legion.org/publications/217301/war-within-treatment-traumatic-brain-injury-and-post-traumatic-stress-disorder
The committee's continued advocacy for alternate treatment programs for TBI and PTSD can be found in "The Road Home," a special publication produced in 2018:
https://www.legion.org/publications/242934/road-home-treatment-tbi-and-ptsd
How to obtain help for TBI:
To obtain help for a TBI-related injury, you must apply for enrollment in the VA health-care system by completing and submitting a VA Form 10-10EZ Application for Health Benefits. You can apply either online at www.1010ez.med.va.gov, in person at your local VA medical center, or by telephone at (877) 222-VETS (8387), Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., EST. Once enrolled, you will be provided a TBI screening evaluation, and if the results are positive you will be scheduled for additional treatment.
Available Resources:
Department of Veterans Affairs: www.va.gov
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center: dvbic.dcoe.mil
Defense Centers of Excellence: www.dcoe.mil
VA Polytrauma/TBI National Coordinator: (804) 675-5597
VA OEF/OIF Assistance: www.oefoif.va.gov
Polytrauma Assistance: (888) 827-4824
https://www.polytrauma.va.gov/
Disclaimer: the information presented in The American Legion’s TBI website is for informational purposes only. This information does NOT constitute medical advice, and should NOT serve as the basis for any medical decision by you. Please consult with a physician or other medical professional should you have questions regarding information contained in this section of our website.
Veterans who are in crisis or have had thoughts of suicide should call the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255, and Press 1, chat online at www.veteranscrisisline.net/chat, or text to 838255. If you know someone at risk, help them get help.