H10 - Beyond the VA: Bridging the Behavioral Health Gap for Transitioning Service Members and Veterans

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM MDT

Location: Bluebird 2A

Each year, 200,000 service members transition to civilian life — yet many delay seeking behavioral health support until months later. This session equips community-based providers with practical strategies to engage veterans during this critical first year, reduce stigma, and build trust. Attendees will explore culturally responsive, strength-based approaches rooted in trauma-informed principles, designed to close care gaps and improve outcomes for military-connected clients.

Learning Objectives:

Identify key behavioral health risk factors and cultural considerations for service members in the first year of transition, focusing on when they typically engage with community-based care.
Demonstrate culturally responsive, trauma-informed engagement strategies to improve outreach, trust-building, and retention of military-connected clients.
Formulate an action plan to integrate military cultural competency into organizational policies, workflows, and staff training to close care gaps for veterans outside VA systems.

Disclosure(s):

Siobhan Cunningham, LCSW: No financial relationships to disclose

Breakout Presenter(s)

Siobhan Cunningham, LCSW

Director of Behavioral Health
Mat-Su Health Services, Inc.
Wasilla, Alaska

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Slides