Asking this critical question can make a difference for our military and veterans

Make a commitment to change how you and others talk to veterans and military families. As November comes to a close, in honor of our service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s SMVF Technical Assistance Center is featuring the webinar Asking this Critical Question Can Make a Difference: “Have you or a loved one ever served in the military?” on YouTube. The infographic below captures five key points from the webinar.

The American Nurses Association launched one of the first efforts of this kind when it began the “Have you ever served in the military?” campaign. Leaders in the state of New Hampshire developed the Ask the Question campaign and are launching a toolkit designed to assist healthcare providers in the implementation of a consistent approach to pose the question and to then refer SMVF to appropriate care and resources. The American Academy of Nursing’s “Have You Ever Served in the Military” campaign and New Hampshire’s “Ask the Question” campaign and toolkit are featured.