Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment for Veterans
- Warriors Path at Killeen, a dedicated veteran residential track
- Trauma informed care for PTSD, MST and combat related trauma
- VA Community Care authorizations and TriWest referrals
- Extended stays: up to 90 days residential, longer in outpatient
Clinically reviewed by
Dr. Rajesh Harripersad, EdD, LPC-S, Regional Executive Director, U.S. Army Retired
Last reviewed August 2026
Check your insurance
Free & confidential • No obligation • Usually answered within minutes
Honoring your service
Struggling isn’t weakness. It’s a weight most people never had to carry.
Combat, deployment, military sexual trauma, the transition back to civilian life. The weight veterans carry is real and often invisible to the people around them, and substance use is frequently how it gets managed when there is nowhere else for it to go. That is not a character flaw, and it deserves care built for your actual experience.
PTSD, trauma & addiction in veterans
For many veterans, substance use is a way of coping with what happened in service.
Combat trauma, military sexual trauma (MST), chronic pain and moral injury are common threads behind veteran substance use. Using is often self-medication for symptoms that were never properly treated. Treating the addiction without treating the trauma underneath it rarely leads to lasting recovery. Our program is trauma-informed from the start, using EMDR and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), the same evidence-based approaches the VA itself uses as gold-standard PTSD treatment.
Military sexual trauma
MST is treated with the same seriousness as combat trauma.
The same clinical care, the same confidentiality, the same respect. If MST is part of your experience you can talk to our team privately about the support available, and you will not have to explain it to people who do not understand.
We treat MST in men and in women.
Ask on the call and our team will tell you privately what the support looks like. Nothing about it is shared without your written consent.
If you are in crisis right now
If you are a veteran having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, reach out now. The Veterans Crisis Line is free, confidential and staffed around the clock.
You are not alone, and reaching out is a sign of strength.
Using your VA & TRICARE/TriWest benefits
We help you navigate the paperwork barrier.
We work with VA Community Care Network authorizations and TriWest referrals. Using VA benefits at a community provider like Virtue usually means the VA has to authorize the care first, so it is worth starting that conversation early rather than late.
Our admissions team can walk you through where you stand, what the VA is likely to need, and what is covered at the facility you are considering.
Military and VA plan names are easy to confuse with one another, and coverage differs between our facilities. Tell us exactly what your card says and we will check it rather than guess.
Veteran Length of Stay
Length of stay is authorized by the VA and TriWest based on clinical need. These figures reflect typical authorizations, not guarantees.
A team that’s walked in your boots
Led by people who served.
Dr. Rajesh Harripersad
U.S. Army Retired · Regional Executive Director, Killeen · Founder of “Don’t Walk Alone,” supporting veterans facing homelessness and addiction.
Earl Hopkins
Regional Executive Director, Las Vegas · Leads with a deep commitment to inclusive care for veterans and first responders.
Josh Davis
U.S. Army Veteran · Regional Executive Director, Astoria · Built his career around serving those who served.
What we treat most often
Alcohol and meth lead, often tied to coping rather than habit.
Among the veterans we treat, alcohol is the most common substance, followed by methamphetamine, with fentanyl and other opioids and chronic-pain-related use also common. These substances often function as self-medication for PTSD, chronic pain, or the difficulty of the transition to civilian life, which is exactly why our approach treats the substance use and the underlying trauma together, not as separate problems.
Veteran programming by location
Warriors Path started at Killeen. Veterans are welcomed everywhere.
Killeen remains our flagship veteran program, the deepest veteran-specific staffing and programming in the network, and we are expanding Warriors Path to more locations. In the meantime, veteran-focused programming is already in place at Astoria and Las Vegas.
Killeen, TX
Warriors PathOur flagship veteran market, minutes from Fort Cavazos. Warriors Path is a dedicated veteran-specific residential track: therapist-led group programming built around military experience, coordination with VA Community Care partners and TriWest referrals, and veteran-focused aftercare planning.
Astoria, OR
Veteran-Focused OutpatientVirtue at The Pointe is built around the veteran experience, with a Veteran Service Officer (VSO) and a VA case manager on staff. Peer support draws on “battle buddy” framing — reinforcing the resilience veterans already built in service.
Las Vegas, NV
Veteran ResidentialVeterans are served within our private-villa residential model at Corbett, with length of stay authorized up to 90 days — among the longest in our network.
“Those who serve” also includes first responders. See our First Responders program if that’s a closer fit for you or someone you’re calling about.
In their words
What veterans say about Virtue
I was supposed to go to White City VA, (I am a combat veteran) but when I got there, I was told I needed to detox and I was sent here. At first, I was absolutely terrified as the VA took me to the hospital in Medford, but from the moment I was picked up by their driver, to the day of my discharge, I was treated in a way I have rarely been treated at any other facility, and that is with the dignity and respect that I’ve always wanted to have as a human, they cared about my diet they cared about my needs. They were there for me when I was scared they help me when I was at my lowest. And gave me another chance at life something you can’t put a price on, but I’ll always be thankful for. The food was also really good and the person in charge of the kitchen is awesome ( am I allowed to say Annie?) . Thank you for taking such good care of me and that goes for everybody that was here. I don’t have a negative thing to say about anything except the reason why I had to come here, but it was a very positive experience and you get to be in Astoria beautiful story where they film the goonies detoxing sucks, but it didn’t suck so bad being here thank you.
Astoria, OR · Google
My life has changed for the better after attending Virtue at The Point. They are less clinical with us veterans and connect on a more human to human nature. The chefs are 5 star level in my opinion. I found myself chatting late at night to the front desk if I couldn’t sleep. This place became my safe place and home away from home. All my medical needs were met with hast and perfect performance. Love every one here. Never have I ever been in place that truly care for the needs of men let alone combat veterans. It was a blessing and honor to have been there.
Astoria, OR · Google
Reviews are unedited and pulled from Google. They reflect individual experience and are not a guarantee of outcome.
Common questions
Questions veterans actually ask
You can call and ask any of these directly. No obligation and no pressure. Someone answers 24 hours a day.
(866) 461-3339- I have TRICARE or TriWest. Can you help me use it?
- Raise it on the first call and admissions will check it with you. We work with military and veteran benefits including VA Community Care Network authorisations, and what applies depends on your specific plan and referral situation. Coverage and the referral process depend on your specific plan and situation, and our admissions team is experienced in helping veterans navigate it. A confidential benefits check is the easiest way to see what’s available to you.
- How do I use my VA benefits for treatment — do I need a referral?
- In most cases, using VA benefits for treatment at a community provider like Virtue requires a community care referral or authorization from the VA. It sounds complicated, but our team works with veterans and the VA Community Care Network regularly and can help you understand the steps and coordinate the authorization. The goal is to remove the paperwork barrier so you can focus on getting help.
- Do you treat PTSD and addiction together?
- Yes, and for veterans this is essential — substance use and PTSD so often go hand in hand that treating one without the other rarely leads to lasting recovery. Our trauma-informed program addresses both at once, using evidence-based approaches like EMDR and cognitive processing therapy, the same kinds of therapies used to treat combat trauma. Healing the underlying trauma is what makes real recovery possible.
- Is the program actually built for veterans, or just open to them?
- It’s genuinely built for veterans — our Warriors Path program offers a peer community of fellow veterans, staff members who have served in the military themselves, a strong trauma focus, and an understanding of military culture that civilian programs often lack. Several of our leaders are veterans, so you’ll be cared for by people who understand where you’re coming from. You won’t have to explain what service was like.
- Can you help with military sexual trauma (MST)?
- Yes — we provide trauma-informed care that addresses military sexual trauma alongside substance use and other mental health conditions. MST can be deeply isolating, and it’s treated with the same confidentiality, respect, and clinical care as any other trauma. Our team can talk with you privately about the support available.
- I’m a veteran having thoughts of suicide — where can I get help right now?
- If you’re in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out right now: call or text the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1, or text 838255, for free, confidential support available 24/7. You are not alone, and reaching out is a sign of strength. When you’re ready to talk about treatment and recovery, we’re here for that too.
- Does treatment affect my VA disability or benefits?
- Getting treatment for addiction or mental health generally does not reduce your VA disability benefits — in fact, seeking care can be an important part of managing service-connected conditions. Every situation is different, so it’s worth confirming specifics with the VA, and our team can help point you in the right direction. Please don’t let worry about benefits stop you from getting the help you deserve.
- How long is treatment for veterans?
- Length of treatment depends on your needs, but veterans may qualify for extended lengths of stay — up to around 90 days in residential, and longer in outpatient — which can make a real difference for complex trauma and co-occurring conditions. More time allows for deeper work on the underlying causes, not just the substance use. Our team will help determine the right length of care for your situation.
- Will my command or unit be notified that I’m in treatment?
- No. Treatment records are protected under standard confidentiality law (42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA) — the same protections that apply to every client. We do not contact your command, unit, or employer, and nothing about your treatment is shared without your written consent.
You are allowed to ask
If you are calling for someone else
Most people who call us are calling about someone they love. You can ask about the options and check their insurance on their behalf, and it stays a conversation until you decide otherwise.
Related reading
Insurance
We accept most major insurance plans.
And most PPO plans. Coverage varies by plan and by facility, so if your carrier is not shown, ask rather than assume.
- Free, and there is no obligation at the end of it
- Usually answered within minutes during the day
- You can check on behalf of someone else
- Admissions answers the phone 24 hours a day
- No insurance? Ask about private pay options. Nobody is turned away without knowing their next step.
Check my insurance coverage
100% confidential · No commitment required
Call us and we will handle the VA paperwork.
Community Care and TriWest authorization, transportation, placement and intake. Our admissions team manages all of it, and works with veterans every day.
Confidential. No obligation. Someone answers, 24 hours a day.