The Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families

Addressing the behavioral health needs of veterans and their families is a national priority. Over the past decade, multiple programs both within and outside of the federal government have been implemented to build additional capacity and expand access to high-quality behavioral health care for veterans and their families. Much of the nongovernmental effort has been funded by private philanthropy in an effort to build and expand public-private partnerships with the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2012, Northwell Health, a private-sector, nonprofit health system, and the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center launched the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families. This unique clinic, located in Bay Shore, New York, provides behavioral health services for both veterans and their family members. In 2014, the RAND Corporation was asked to design and conduct an evaluation of this model to document its structure, process, and outcomes of care in an effort to inform potential replications of this approach. This report presents the findings from this evaluation.