Attention A T users. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps.
1. Please switch auto forms mode to off.
2. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc).
3. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow.
You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links.
Check out our newest products made by VA mental health care providers and researchers. These products address topics that impact the mental health needs of Veterans and their families. Access our full collection of products.
A Veteran's Guide to Discussing STORES: Secure Storage to Reduce Suicide Risk
Veterans can be important in preventing suicide and saving fellow Veterans’ lives. These materials are for Veterans who want to help prevent Veteran suicide by discussing a plan for secure storage. This guide describes secure storage and its benefits and equips Veterans with skills to have a conversation about secure storage with other Veterans to reduce their risk of suicide. Includes:
STORES Guide - Provides secure storage examples and dialogues.
STORES Brochure – Introduces the concept of secure storage and tips for talking to other Veterans about secure storage.
Family Flyer – Discusses secure storage in context of suicide prevention for the entire family.
Children’s Flyer – Discusses secure storage in context of keeping children safe in the home.
Published 2023 | Updated 2024
This product is a best practice.
Moral Injury Psychoeducation Group
This four-week program is a time-limited psychoeducational “standalone” group that can be offered either virtually or in person to provide information about moral injury. The curriculum, which includes a facilitator guide and program handbook, provides information for chaplains and mental health clinicians on leading a Moral Injury Psychoeducation Group. The group may be led by chaplains, clinicians, church clergy specializing in pastoral care or mental health ministry with Veterans, or trained para-professionals such as NAMI volunteers or Veteran peer support specialists who have participated in the course.
The program is designed to introduce core concepts related to moral injury and prepare Veterans for more intensive therapy for moral injury, if desired and available.
The program handbook is used to conduct the sessions.
Sessions are nonthreatening and focus on education as opposed to group process or self-revelation.
The facilitator guide includes helpful hints, clinical examples, potential pitfalls, and ways to appropriately involve Veterans during group sessions.
Published 2021 | Updated 2024
This product is a best practice.
Pro Tips for Coaching webSTAIR: A Transdiagnostic Web-based Program for Veterans Exposed to Trauma
webSTAIR is a Veteran-facing online version of Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), which was developed for individuals who have experienced trauma. webSTAIR combines self-paced online training modules and virtual coaching sessions to support real-life skill application to improve emotion regulation, relationship functioning, and quality of life for Veterans who have experienced a trauma. The goal of this training manual is to increase the reach of webSTAIR to Veterans with mild-to-moderate levels of trauma-related symptoms.
Provides an introduction to webSTAIR and describes who is a good fit for the program, available models, and considerations when introducing Veterans to webSTAIR.
Helps clinicians navigate the webSTAIR program clinician and Veteran dashboards, features, progress monitor, resources, toolbox, course list, user achievement badges, and module content.
webSTAIR is not an appropriate intervention for Veterans with severe mental health problems, or with primary clinical concerns that would be best treated by a specific type of intervention (such as Exposure Response Prevention for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Panic Disorder).
Published 2023
This product is an evidence-based practice.
Sexual Health for Women Veterans
This brochure describes VA services that support women's sexual health and overall well-being.
Provides information about women's services available at VA, including birth control, immunizations, and health screenings and medications.
Encourages women Veterans to discuss VA sexual health services with their clinician.
Published 2023
Two Sides of the Same Coin: Cultural Humility and Addressing Microaggressions and Discriminatory Requests
This guide provides core information and is intended to be a quick reference of important concepts regarding cultural humility practices and responding to microaggressions and discriminatory requests from individuals.
Describes culture and its impact on healthcare, equity and cross-cultural engagement.
Encourages clinicians to practice cultural humility with patients through tools that include the CRASH model, Kleinmann's 8 questions, and a brief demonstration video.
Discusses discriminatory histories in healthcare and clinician- and patient-level barriers that influence care.
Defines microaggressions and provides strategies to respond to discriminatory requests by patients.
Published 2023 | Updated 2024
This product is a best practice.
Updated Calmer Life Program for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Anxiety
Updated Calmer Life manuals were published in 2024. These materials adapted and reworked the original Calmer Life Program to become “practice-ready” and include illustrations, modified patient vignettes, and changes to language and style. The patient manual includes more detailed instructions for utilizing the resources as guided self-help and completing homework assignments that correspond to each skill. The reworked materials were the result of a collaboration between Maribel Plasencia, PhD, Raquel D. Gonzalez, BA, Nicte Donis, BS, Jennifer Lee, BA, and Jeffrey Cully, PhD. Illustrations were created by Raquel D. Gonzalez, BA.
This product is a best practice.
Veteran Wellness Toolkit
This toolkit is for Veterans who want to learn tools to improve their wellness.
Part of a Whole Health approach to Veterans’ well-being.
Self-paced.
Self-directed (does not require a mental health professional to use).
Sections include goal setting, understanding health, wellness tools, and additional resources.
Includes practical wellness tools, such as self-compassion, gratitude, thinking positively, and eating for vitality.
Published 2019 | Updated 2024
This product is a best practice.
Walking to Wellness: Exercise for Physical and Emotional Health
This walking program is for Veterans who want to use exercise to help manage their emotional symptoms and improve their physical health. Program materials were completely revised and updated in 2023.
For Veterans experiencing mild to moderate stress, anxiety or depression symptoms.
Workbook can be used alone as a self-help guide.
Includes exercise tip sheets, activity planning worksheets, and personal logs to record experiences.
Features new supplemental guides for mindful walking and walking with a caregiver:
Integrating Mindfulness Into Walking Activities defines mindfulness and how to use mindfulness techniques when walking.
Caregiver Walking Together has information and suggestions to help caregivers walk with someone who has dementia or other cognitive impairment.
Facilitator manual provides current scientific background on exercise and mental health and gives suggestions for using the materials with individuals and groups.
Please note that the health care information provided in these materials is for educational purposes only. It does not replace the role of a medical practitioner for advice on care and treatment. If you are looking for professional medical care, find your local VA healthcare center by using the VA Facilities Locator & Directory.
