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Military Veterans

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Military veterans—individuals who complete military service whether at home or deployed overseas, in peacetime or in combat—are entitled to and in some cases require various government services. RAND research has examined the physical and mental health, interpersonal relationships, and employment problems that U.S. military veterans and their families face, and has recommended policies to support veterans' reintegration into civilian life.

Essay
The Lives of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
The United States pledged in 2009 to end veteran homelessness. The numbers have fallen by nearly half since then, but there are still more than 37,000 veterans living in their cars, in temporary shelters, or in makeshift camps. Researchers followed 26 of them for one year to see how they live and what keeps them on the streets.
Feb 25, 2022
Research Brief
Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds
Depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders interfere with veterans' employment, family life, community engagement, and well-being. There are effective treatments but also barriers to accessing them. A set of standards can help identify providers who serve veterans and deliver high-quality care.
May 9, 2022

Explore Military Veterans

Testimony
Wait Times for Veterans Scheduling Health Care Appointments
There are no national standards for how long is too long for a patient to wait for a health care appointment. Better data about the timeliness and quality of VA Community Care are needed to help veterans make better-informed decisions. What are some recommend approaches to improve data collection and reporting?
Sep 21, 2022
Blog
National Security After Roe, Women Veterans, COVID-19's Lasting Effects: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how overturning Roe could affect national security, supporting women veterans, responding to the next pandemic, and more.
Sep 16, 2022
Report
Improving Support for Veteran Women
There are two million U.S. veterans who are women, and that number is growing. Their military experiences and post-service needs often differ from those of men. How can policies and programs better support women veterans as they transition to civilian life?
Sep 15, 2022
Testimony
Women Veterans' Access to Reproductive Health Care
The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade could have a direct impact on women veterans’ health since abortion can be medically necessary. To meet women's fundamental health care needs, it is important for VA to be able to provide the full spectrum of reproductive health care.
Sep 15, 2022
Commentary
Setting Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds
Posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders are common among post-9/11 veterans and can interfere with their employment, family life, engagement with their communities, and overall well-being. A shared definition and standards for high-quality care can help organizations that support veterans to better assist in their recovery from these “invisible wounds.”
Sep 12, 2022
Blog
Veterans Health Care, Media Literacy, Sleep Retreats: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the challenges of VA community care, the importance of improving middle schoolers' media literacy skills, tips to improve sleep, and more.
Sep 9, 2022
Report
The Promise and Challenges of VA Community Care
The VA contracts with private-sector providers to ensure that veterans receive timely health care. This care alleviates access barriers, but questions remain about its cost and quality. With recent expansions in eligibility for community care, accurate data will be critical to policy and budget decisions and promoting high-quality care for veterans.
Sep 6, 2022
Journal Article
Veteran Educators or For-Profiteers? Tuition Responses to Changes in the Post-9/11 GI Bill
In 2010, Congress reauthorized the Post-9/11 GI Bill by changing reimbursement rates from by-state maximums to a nationwide limit. This change affected some institutions more than others. We find changes in tuition and student enrollment in response to changes in reimbursement rates.
Aug 11, 2022
Q&A
The Mutual Rewards of Hiring a Veteran: Q&A with Kyleanne Hunter and Kayla Williams
July 25 is National Hire a Veteran Day, and its purpose is to encourage employers to look to this diverse pool of workers to fill positions. Employers stand to benefit from the experience and skills that veterans acquire during military service. For veterans, a fulfilling career can ease the transition to civilian life.
Jul 25, 2022
Report
Programs for Care System Transitions in Mental Health: A Systematic Review
The authors synthesize evidence from studies of interventions that facilitate transitions between health care systems, such as the transition from the Military Health System (MHS) to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Jun 3, 2022
Blog
Truth Decay, School Lunch Nutrition, Regulating Space: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on tackling Truth Decay, how civilian tech experts view the military's use of artificial intelligence, a new approach to regulating outer space, and more.
May 13, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: May-June 2022
The cover story explores what prison-based programs are available to help incarcerated parents and their children. Another feature examines ways to help social media users navigate the online extremist ecosystem.
May 11, 2022
Report
Recommended Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds
The authors identified ten standards for the delivery of high-quality care for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorders, and mild traumatic brain injury.
May 9, 2022
Blog
A Peacekeeping Operation in Ukraine, Synthetic Opioids, Geoengineering: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why it may be time to consider a peacekeeping operation in northern Ukraine, supporting veterans with traumatic brain injury, a new response to synthetic opioids, and more.
Apr 29, 2022
Research Brief
How to Improve Long-Term Outcomes for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
Treatment for veterans with TBI has improved since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began. But today's veteran population is more diverse than ever, and improving outcomes requires a better understanding of how TBI affects veterans' lives over the long term, what they may need as they age, and effective treatments.
Apr 28, 2022
Report
Improving Care for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Across the Lifespan
This report presents findings from a study designed to identify the long-term outcomes of traumatic brain injury for veterans, the future needs of this population, effective treatments, and the availability of community-based resources.
Apr 28, 2022
Multimedia
A Conversation with VA Secretary McDonough on the Department's Recommendations to the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission
In advance of the release of a nationwide study to inform investments in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, Secretary Denis R. McDonough discussed VA's current infrastructure, the study methods, and VA's recommendations.
Mar 14, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2022
The cover story describes a yearlong study of a group of military veterans experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Other features examine the global digital skills gap and the magnitude and sources of disagreement among gun policy experts.
Mar 10, 2022
Blog
The West's Response to Russia, the State of the Union, Outer Space: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how to prevent Russia's war on Ukraine from becoming a war with NATO, insights from RAND on the State of the Union, the future of outer space, and more.
Mar 4, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Military Veterans

Topic Synonyms:
War Veteran

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