To make it easier for community healthcare professionals to understand Veterans and their military experience, VA and the Department of Defense have developed a free online continuing education course, Military Culture: Core Competencies for healthcare Professionals. The free interactive course is aimed at helping providers to better serve Veterans and service members by increasing their knowledge and awareness of military culture and experiences. Health professionals who take this course are eligible for 8 continuing education units. Click here for more information.

VHA TRAIN (https://vha.train.org/) is a gateway into TRAIN National, a free service of the Public Health Foundation and one of the most widely used learning management systems, providing a comprehensive catalog of public health learning products. VHA TRAIN is supported by the Veterans Health Administration Employee Education System, an internal education and training program office in the DVA. The learning programs found in the VHA support the professional development needs of public health and healthcare providers, with a focus on Veteran patient care.

Providers can also consult Building Bridges to Support Military and Veteran Families: Healthcare Providers Resource Guide, developed in 2009 by SAMHSA, DoD, VA, Vet Centers, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. The guide is meant to assist medical and mental health providers with their work in helping service members, Veterans, and their families maintain health and positive family functioning (DCEPHTBI, 2009).