VA NY Harbor Health Care System

• In emergencies, Veterans or family members should call 911.
• Veterans in crisis should call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255.
• We have psychiatric emergency rooms at our Brooklyn and New York campuses that are staffed 24/7 by psychiatrists who will evaluate Veteran's need for hospitalization or other services.
• If a Veteran is new to VA, he/she must be eligible for VA services. A range of Mental Health services are offered at VA NY Harbor Healthcare System. Note that we do NOT offer same day admission to inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation services.
• In urgent care situations, if the Veteran is currently followed in the outpatient Mental Health Clinic, the Veteran may be seen in the MH clinic where they are seen for treatment. Veterans should attempt to contact their NY Harbor provider in advance of arrival in the clinic when possible.
• For inquiries about psychiatric treatment, contact the Emergency Department at the closest campus; Brooklyn (718-836-6600 x3124) or Manhattan (212-686-7500 x3800).
• For Homeless Program inquiries and assessment for homeless services, please visit the Homeless Triage office at the NY Harbor campus of your convenience:

The VITAL Initiative, a program funded as part of the VA Secretary's T21 Initiatives, seeks to provide a link between local colleges and universities and the VA Health Care System to support student Veterans' academic pursuits. Evidence indicates that Veterans are successfully enrolling in colleges and universities across the nation, but unfortunately are not enrolling in the VA programs and services they have earned through their service to their country. As a result, many student Veterans are missing out on a variety of opportunities that could support their educational and career pursuits. While there are a variety of barriers student Veterans face, the VA VITAL Initiative aims to remove some of those barriers and to emphasize the unique leadership abilities that student Veterans bring to their campus communities.

The VITAL Initiative has initially been established in 20 Medical Centers nationwide: Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Bedford, MA; Biloxi, MS; Canandaigua, NY; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Madison, WI; Marion, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Muskogee, OK; Orlando, FL; Palo Alto, CA; Reno, NV Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; Tuscaloosa, AL; Walla Walla, WA and West Haven, CT. Services are offered in three important areas:

• Outreach: VITAL facilitates a number of campus events to identify student Veterans and increase access to and enrollment in VA Health Care and provides full-time VA staffing to partner schools.
• Education: VITAL provides consultation and liaison services to the campus community with the purpose of educating faculty, staff and students about the unique strengths and challenges facing student Veterans. These events also streamline services in a manner that enhances student Veterans' academic pursuits.
• Direct Services: VITAL staff are available on campus to assist student Veterans with:
  
  • Training faculty on military culture;
  • Assisting campuses in creation of student Veteran support programs;
  
• Providing onsite mental health services including:
  • intake assessments, evidence-based psychotherapy, family and couples counseling, medication management;
  • case management and enrollment into VA programs;
  • connecting Veterans with campus-, community- and state-based resources;
  • advising and supporting student Veteran organizations on campuses.