San Jose VA Clinic

The San Jose VA Clinic is your go to outpatient facility for most specialty health services if you’re a veteran living in the San Jose, California area. Their services range from substance use and mental health care to homelessness support, smoke cessation and whole health services. They offer outpatient and inpatient substance use treatment to help you tackle everything from alcoholism to life threatening drug addiction. I like their personalized treatment which tailors counseling, group therapy or medication to your unique needs.

Inpatient addiction recovery therapy takes place in their residential facility. This program is highly structured and involves intensive therapy with round-the-clock support from their clinical team. This can be a great recovery option when dealing with severe substance use disorders. Otherwise you should go for outpatient treatment. This offers more flexibility. You can receive treatment while maintaining a full-time job or other everyday obligations.

Both programs aim to equip you with the tools to overcome substance misuse. These tools may include FDA approved meds that address the physical aspects of addiction by minimizing withdrawal symptoms. Others may include life skills like anger/stress management, effective communication and internal conflict resolution, which you can learn via group therapy. The goal is to build strong coping mechanisms that prevent relapse and help you stay sober.

The facility also supports folks with co-occurring disorders through their PTSD care. This may incorporate psychotherapy and medication management alongside addiction therapy. A co-occurring disorder is when you struggle with substance misuse and a mental health condition. Their mental healthcare addresses common conditions from depression and anxiety to PTSD and OCD. Services include consultation, evaluation and individual and group group therapy.

Their whole health services boast alternative therapeutic approaches to help you take charge of your health and wellbeing. This includes meditation/mindfulness training, massage therapy and acupuncture. Yoga, tai chi and qigong classes are all aspects of this program. I think these are good complementary treatments to tackle your behavioral issues including PTSD and substance misuse. They foster mind, body and spiritual healing.

You can benefit from their homeless veterans care if you’re homeless or at risk of homelessness due to substance misuse or mental illness. They offer transition and permanent housing, financial support and job training.

The best thing is that these services are low cost and have flexible funding options which make payment easy. They accept Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. You can even fund your treatment through VA financial hardship assistance if you're uninsured and having financial difficulties. Another cool thing is that you can qualify for care even if you're not enrolled in VA health care. They even offer same day help, telehealth visits and support walk-in express care for emergencies.