Veterans, service members and military families
PTSD and substance use treatment for veterans and service members
True Again Care, a program of FHE Health, explains how FHE Health's care for veterans and service members works, how TRICARE and VA Community Care fit in, and what to do first.
A dedicated branch for veterans and service members
FHE Health's care for veterans and service members is a dedicated branch of its first responder program. Many of the program's clinicians and counselors have first responder or military backgrounds.
Care can include medically supervised detox, residential care, partial hospitalization, outpatient services and aftercare. Your treatment team recommends the level of care after an evaluation. Treatment takes place on FHE Health's campus in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
FHE Health treats adults. The program fits many veterans, but not every situation. Admissions will talk through your needs and, if FHE Health is not the right fit, can point you toward another provider.
PTSD and substance use, treated together
If you live with PTSD and also drink or use drugs to cope, you are far from alone. The VA's National Center for PTSD reports that more than 4 in 10 adults with PTSD also have problems with drug or alcohol use.
Both can be treated at the same time, and research shows that works. The VA/DoD PTSD guideline strongly recommends cognitive processing therapy (CPT), prolonged exposure (PE) and EMDR, and suggests that a substance use disorder should not keep you from getting them.
FHE Health treats both conditions in one coordinated plan. Its PTSD care uses therapies including CPT, EMDR, exposure therapy and group therapy, often alongside medication and psychiatric care. Read more about trauma and PTSD treatment.
TRICARE and VA Community Care at a glance
| Topic | TRICARE | VA Community Care |
|---|---|---|
| At FHE Health | FHE Health is a TRICARE-contracted treatment center working with TRICARE East, Select and Prime. | FHE Health is a credentialed VA Community Care Network provider for mental health and substance use care. |
| Before care starts | Non-emergency inpatient or residential substance use care needs preauthorization. TRICARE Prime members also need a referral from their primary care manager for residential care, and for PHP and IOP unless a network provider requests preauthorization instead. | You must be enrolled in or eligible for VA health care, and you need approval from your VA health care team before care begins. You cannot self-refer. |
| What may not be covered | TRICARE covers care that is medically necessary and proven. It does not cover unproven treatments, and it may not cover every service FHE Health offers. | VA decides whether you are eligible and what it approves. Ask your VA care team what your approval covers. |
| A good first step | Call admissions to check your benefits. Checking does not commit you to treatment. | Talk with your VA health care team, such as your primary care or mental health provider, and ask whether community care is an option for you. |
Using TRICARE at FHE Health
TRICARE may cover substance use disorder care, including detox, inpatient care, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs and mental health services.
FHE Health is a TRICARE-contracted treatment center working with TRICARE East, Select and Prime. If you are in the TRICARE West region, call admissions for a benefits check.
TRICARE's separate benefit for psychiatric residential treatment centers is for people under 21 whose main diagnosis is not a substance use disorder. If you are an adult who wants residential care for PTSD or another mental health condition, and you do not have a substance use disorder, ask admissions how TRICARE applies before you decide.
Rules can differ by plan and region, and your regional contractor may have its own requirements. Admissions can check your benefits and explain possible out-of-pocket costs before treatment starts. For more detail, read TRICARE and VA Community Care, explained.
How to ask the VA about community care
VA Community Care always starts with the VA. You cannot refer yourself. Here is how the process generally works.
Step 1
Talk to your VA care team
Contact your VA primary care provider or mental health provider. Tell them what you are dealing with and ask whether community care is an option for you.
Step 2
VA checks your eligibility
You may qualify if, for example, VA cannot offer mental health care within a 30-minute average drive or a 20-day wait, VA does not offer the service you need, or you and your VA provider agree that community care is the better medical choice for you. VA decides whether you qualify.
Step 3
Get approval before care starts
You need VA approval before you see a community provider. You can ask your VA care team whether care at FHE Health is an option for you. You can also always choose care at a VA health facility.
Step 4
If VA says no
If VA denies your request for community care, you can appeal through VA's Clinical Appeals process.
Support for military families
FHE Health treats adults. If you are an adult family member looking for care yourself, admissions can check your coverage and explain your options.
When a patient agrees, family members can take part in treatment or planning. FHE Health offers family and couples counseling and weekly virtual family education groups.
If you are worried about a veteran or service member in your life, see our page for families. The Veterans Crisis Line also supports the people who care about veterans and service members.
Questions veterans and service members ask
Can I go straight to FHE Health and have the VA pay?
No. VA Community Care needs approval from your VA health care team before care at FHE Health begins. You can still call FHE Health with questions while you talk to the VA.
What if I am not enrolled in VA health care?
To use VA Community Care, you need to be enrolled in or eligible for VA health care. If you have other coverage, such as TRICARE or private insurance, admissions can check those benefits instead.
Does TRICARE need preauthorization for residential treatment?
Yes, for non-emergency residential or inpatient substance use care. Under TRICARE policy, PHP and IOP do not need preauthorization, but TRICARE Prime members need a primary care manager referral for them unless a network provider requests preauthorization instead. Your regional contractor may add its own rules.
Does FHE Health accept Medicare or Medicaid?
No. SAMHSA's FindTreatment.gov lists FHE Health as accepting TRICARE, private insurance and self-pay, and does not list Medicaid or Medicare. If you need a program that takes them, call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or search FindTreatment.gov.
Is the veterans program separate from the first responder program?
It is a dedicated branch of FHE Health's first responder program. See the first responder page to learn more about that program.
Questions about TRICARE or the VA?
Call FHE Health admissions at (833) 596-3502, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff can check your TRICARE benefits or explain what you need from the VA before care can start.
Sources
- VA National Center for PTSD: Substance use and PTSD
- VA/DoD PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline, Quick Reference Guide (2023)
- TRICARE: Substance use disorder treatment
- TRICARE: Residential treatment centers
- TRICARE Policy Manual, Chapter 7, Section 3.5
- VA: Eligibility for community care outside VA
- Health.mil: Military command exception
- DoD Instruction 6490.08: Command Notification Requirements (2023)
- Veterans Crisis Line
- SAMHSA: National Helpline
- SAMHSA: FindTreatment.gov