SVWG Manual - Chapter 6: MENTAL HEALTH
Mental Health Rights and Resources
The following information is meant to assist servicemembers, veterans, and military families and survivors in finding the mental health resources available in the Middle District of Florida. We recognize that many organizations provide these services, and if you are aware of a helpful resource or organization not listed here, please contact us at USAFLM-SVWG@usdoj.gov. By listing these organizations, we are not endorsing them over competing organizations nor providing any mental health advice. Instead, we want to offer a starting point for those who are (1) facing a mental health crisis; (2) seeking mental health treatment, counseling or help with substance abuse; and (3) looking for ways to improve mental health and resilience. We have also listed; (4) Relevant Laws; and (5) Legal Resources.
- Veterans Crisis Hotline:
- Call 988
- Call 988
- The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) National Military Survivor Helpline is available 24/7 at (800) 959-TAPS (8277). The Helpline is available for anyone who has been impacted by a military death.
- Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Mental Health - VA has various mental health resources, information, treatment options, and more — all accessible to veterans, veterans’ supporters, and the general public.
- Military One Source - Military OneSource is your 24/7 connection to information, answers, and support to help you reach your goals, overcome challenges, and thrive. As a member of our military family, you can use this Defense Department-funded program anytime, anywhere.
- Wounded Warrior Project - offers an innovative, personal approach to veteran and family mental health and wellness that centers around you.
- Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Mental Health - VA has various mental health resources, information, treatment options, and more — all accessible to veterans, veterans’ supporters, and the general public.
- Vet Centers - community-based centers that offer free, confidential counseling and outreach services to eligible veterans, service members, and their families.
- Military One Source - Military OneSource is your 24/7 connection to information, answers, and support to help you reach your goals, overcome challenges, and thrive. As a member of our military family, you can use this Defense Department-funded program anytime, anywhere.
- Make the Connection - hundreds of veterans describe their mental health challenges and the care that helped them.
- Mental Health America - Mental Health America respects and appreciates current and former members of the military and provides information to help break down the stigma of mental health issues among soldiers, veterans, their families, and medical staff to ensure that a more significant number of military families receive the prompt and high-quality care they deserve.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Veterans & Active Duty - NAMI offers information, support, and education specifically for veterans, service members, and their families.
- Florida Specific
- Behavioral Health Centers
- Central Florida Veterans Mental Health Council
- FL State Dept. of Veterans Affairs MH and Substance Abuse Resources
- HD Counseling - TRICARE approved mental health counseling private practice
- Golf Yankee Six (GY6) - TRICARE approved mental health counseling referral resource
- Cohen Veterans Network (veterans, family members)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals with disabilities, including mental health disabilities, from discrimination because of their disability. The U.S. Department of Justice offers guidance and resources for individuals with mental health and other disabilities, including:
- ADA: Know Your Rights - Returning Service Members with Disabilities
- Guide to Disability Rights Laws
- A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment
- Service Animals: ADA Requirements: Service Animals and Frequently Asked Questions About Service Animals and the ADA
- Guidance on Nondiscrimination in Telehealth - Federal Protections to Ensure Accessibility to People with Disabilities and Limited English Proficient Persons
- The ADA and Opioid Use Disorder: Combating Discrimination Against People in Treatment or Recovery
- Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities, including failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a qualified employee or applicant. It also requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals.
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, which includes family medical history.
- The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies as well as other entities, such as municipalities, banks or other lending institutions and homeowners insurance companies whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to persons because of: (1) race or color; (2) religion; (3) sex; (4) national origin; (5) familial status; or (6) disability.
- For more information regarding fair housing and housing rights, please visit the Housing Chapter.
- The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides for the temporary suspension of judicial and administrative proceedings and civil protections in areas such as housing, credit and taxes for military personnel while they are on active duty.
- The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA): makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against someone because of their past, current or future military status, service, or obligation. For more information, please consult this resource guide authored by several federal agencies.
- The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against protected veterans and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals. This protection against discrimination extends not only to spouses, but also to other individuals that the contractor knows have a relationship or association with a protected veteran. Among the “protected veterans” covered by VEVRAA are disabled veterans: those who are “entitled to compensation…under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs” or “those who were released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.” For more information regarding how VEVRAA protects veterans with disabilities, please click here.
- Florida Mental Health Care Act (“Baker Act”) focuses on crisis services for individuals with mental health disabilities. An individual may be taken to a receiving facility for involuntary examination under the Baker Act if: (1) There is reason to believe he/she has a mental illness and due to the mental illness, the individual has refused or is unable to determine if examination is necessary; and either; (a) Without care or treatment, the individual is unlikely to care for themselves which can result in substantial harm to their well-being, and it is not evident that harm can be avoided through familial intervention or other services; or (b) It is likely, based on recent behavior, that without treatment, the individual will pose a serious threat to themselves or others.
- Definition of a “veteran”: The definition of “veteran” differs in different contexts. Compare Fla. Stat. § 1.01(14) (defining “veteran” as “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges”) with 38 U.S.C. § 101(2) (defining “veteran” as “a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable”) and Fla. Stat. § 394.47891(d) (for purposes of Florida’s veteran's treatment court programs, defining “veteran” as “a person who has served in the military”).
- As part of its Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, DOJ provides a comprehensive list of resources for servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
- Florida legal resources:
- Bay Area Legal Services operates the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline (866-486-6161), available to eligible veterans living in Florida or with a pending legal issue in Florida.
- The Florida Bar Consumer Pamphlet: Legal Aid in Florida provides a comprehensive list of legal aid organizations in Florida, organized by county.
- Disability Rights Florida is a nonprofit organization that provides legal advocacy and rights protection for adults and children with a wide range of disabilities, specifically addressing civil rights violations, abuse and neglect, and discrimination.
- Southern Legal Counsel works to ensure that adequate mental health services are available to children and adults living in poverty and provided in a non-discriminatory manner.
- Florida Justice Institute uses impact litigation and advocacy to improve the lives of Florida’s poor and disenfranchised residents while focusing on criminal justice reform, homelessness, and disability access.
- Veterans’ Treatment Court Program: Florida law establishes a court to address the substance abuse and mental health needs of veterans within Florida’s criminal justice system. For more information, please consult this resource guide.
- National legal aid services and other resources:
- The American Bar Association connects individuals to free legal help, provides free legal answers for veterans and operates the Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP).
- Legal Services Corporation can help you locate local legal aid organizations.
- The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act website.
- U.S. Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program.
- File a civil rights complaint:
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Civil Division, Civil Rights Unit accepts complaints by phone (813-274-6095) or email (USAFLM.Civil.Rights@usdoj.gov)/. Link to the Unit’s civil rights complaint form. More information can be found here.
- The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division enforces civil rights laws that protect servicemembers, including the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). To file a complaint, you can submit a report online, call, or submit a complaint by mail. For contact information, please click here.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforce laws against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and religion by certain health care and human services providers and health insurance plans. You can file a complaint on the OCR Complaint Portal, by mail, or by emailing OCRComplaint@hhs.gov. For further information on how to file a complaint, please click here.
[1] The National Defense Authorization Act 2014, Section 633, requires each secretary of a military department to designate a specific member to assist spouses and other dependents of service members, including Reserve Components, who die on active duty.