What Do New York’s Veterans Need

New York State is home to nearly 600,000 military veterans, most of whom return home without major difficulties. They go to school, work, raise families, and contribute to their communities.

But some veterans struggle with the transition back to civilian life. They may be dealing with physical and mental health challenges related to their service, or they may find it tough to get back into a rhythm after having been away from home.

How can New York best support those returning veterans? What do they need and want when it comes to health care, mental health, and social services? What needs to be done to fill existing gaps?

The best way to answer those questions is to ask veterans themselves and to listen. That's exactly what the New York Health Foundation did. We commissioned the RAND Corporation to conduct a statewide needs assessment of recent veterans. RAND surveyed more than 1,100 New York veterans who recently separated from the military. The study is a follow-up to a 2010 needs assessment, so it also offers some useful comparative data.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Demographic Composition: The cohort of new veterans in New York is relatively young, with 62% under age 45. It is also diverse: approximately 15% are women and nearly 40% are non-white. Mental health and health care providers need to be properly trained to meet the unique needs and challenges of a changing veteran population.
• Mental Health Challenges: About 25% of veterans surveyed have probable depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - compared to 16% in 2010. The proportion of veterans reporting suicidal thoughts is twice as high as estimates for the general New York adult population, and the latest data show that suicide rates have remained relatively unchanged over a 10-year period. It's clear that the veteran population has substantial mental health needs. One bright spot is that more veterans surveyed today - one-third compared to one-quarter in 2010 - are using mental health services, perhaps because of decreasing stigma. We need to shore up services, continue investing in veteran-specific suicide prevention programs, do more to ensure veterans know about their options, and make it easier for veterans to get the services they need.
• Physical Health Issues: More than 60% of survey respondents are living with a disability - twice as many as in 2010. And 20% of veterans rate their health as "fair" or "poor." These high rates of disability and less than optimal health will affect the types of services and support that both health care and mental health services providers will need to deliver to veterans.
• Unmet Care Needs: Although 97% of new veterans have health insurance, many report having unmet mental and/or physical health needs and not having a health care provider they typically see. For those with unmet mental health needs, more than 1 in 4 say they don't know where to find the right services, while nearly 40% say they believe mental health care won't be effective. One veteran who participated in a recent panel discussion about the new report findings likened finding the right provider to finding the right pair of blue jeans; you may have to try on a few before discovering a comfortable fit. Peer mentors can extend the reach of culturally competent mental health support from people who understand the veteran experience.
• Care Preferences: When they do get care, New York's newest veterans report positive experiences in both U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and those in the community paid for by VA. But nearly 60% say that if they could choose to get care anywhere, they would prefer to go to a community provider. Some veterans mix and match: they may opt to see a pulmonologist at the VA but get women's health services from a community provider. Like all of us, veterans want choices and control when it comes to their health care.

Only 6% of adult Americans are veterans, and that proportion has been steadily declining. So it's not surprising if you don't know any veterans or understand much about military and veteran culture. But that 6% is more than 16 million people. They've served their country, and some have sacrificed their physical and mental health by doing so. Most veterans I know are ambivalent when a stranger offers a casual "thank you for your service." The real way to thank them is by ensuring that their needs are met and that they can thrive when they complete their service. That starts by asking, listening, and then acting.

By David Sandman, President and CEO, New York Health Foundation
Published on Medium on October 29, 2024