Justice and Support for Veterans with Substance Use Disorders

Veterans and legal experts discuss wrap-around services to address the needs of veterans with substance use disorder on Talk Justice. Many veterans live with mental or behavioral health challenges, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Approximately 1 in 10 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from some form of substance abuse. And according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the rate of opioid use disorder among veterans is almost double that of the general population. Civil legal aid, the U.S. Department of Justice and Veterans Courts provide vital assistance for veterans facing a substance use disorder, from obtaining health care benefits to securing treatment. This discussion originally took place at LSC’s November 19 event, “Honor in Justice: Supporting America’s Veterans.”