Veterans Services
The Department of Psychiatry at UMass Medical School works with the Veterans Administration to provide services to eligible veterans residing in the greater Worcester and greater Fitchburg area. We collaborate with VA on the National Center on Homelessness among Veterans (NCHV). The NCHV is staffed by VA leadership as well as researchers affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a few other universities.
David Smelson, PsyD, is NCHV's Site Coordinator at the Bedford VA. Dr. Smelson is the Director of Translational Mental Health Research at the Bedford VA and Director of Co-Occurring Disorders at the VA New England Healthcare System. He is also professor and vice-chair for Clinical Research in the UMass Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Smelson has extensive clinical and research experience in working with the homeless and individuals with co-occurring disorders. This includes development of a co-occurring mental health and substance abuse treatment approach designed exclusively for Homeless Veterans. He has received funding from the VA HSR&D program through Merit Review, SDP and RRP mechanisms, the National Institute of Health-National Institute of Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Health-National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration-Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration-Center for Mental Health Services. Dr. Smelson also serves on the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorder QUERI Programs.
Veterans Administration Health Care
- Worcester area, please call 508-856-0104 or click here.
- Fitchburg area, please call 978-342-9781 or click here.
- Bedford VA Hospital, please call 781-687-2000, 1-800-422-1617 or click here.
- Boston VA Hospital, please call 617-323-7000 or click here.
- Northampton VA Hospital, call 413-584-4040, 04 1-800-893-1522 or click here.
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