News, events, and resources
News, events, and resources
SAMHSA SMVF TA CENTER
 
Topics in the News
March 2026
Spotlight | Problem Gambling Among Servicemembers and Veterans
This March, we're observing Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a national grassroots initiative aimed at raising awareness about problem gambling.
What is problem gambling?
  • Problem gambling (sometimes referred to as "gambling addiction" or "gambling disorder") is gambling behavior that is damaging to a person or their family, often disrupting their daily life and career.
  • Anyone who gambles can be at risk for developing a gambling problem.
  • Gambling disorder is a recognized mental health diagnosis.
In the past year, approximately 20 million American adults reported experiencing at least one indicator of problematic gambling behavior. 
Impact on SMVF
  • Service Members experience gambling addiction at twice the rate of the civilian population (Maas & Nower, 2021).
  • An estimated 40% of Veterans and Service Members who seek treatment for gambling addiction report having attempted suicide (Frias, Grubbs, Chapman, & Kraus, 2026).
The 2026 theme, “Caring Communities, Stronger Futures,” emphasizes the importance of a community driven approach to problem gambling awareness and support. When a community comes together, silence is replaced with support, and isolation is replaced with connection.
We encourage you to learn more about problem gambling, its prevalence among SMVF, and the resources available for treatment:
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to improving behavioral health care for those who have served, and are currently serving, our country. Please refer to the “Resource Center” below for additional resources and information.
SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center is honored to provide TA to states, territories, and communities seeking to strengthen their behavioral health support for those who have served in the armed forces. For TA inquiries, please email smvftacenter@prainc.com. For more information about the SMVF TA Center and the resources offered, please visit SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center’s web pages.
Calendar of Events

SMVF TA Center Events

Addressing Veteran Substance Use: Promoting Recovery Through Collaboration and Compassion Learning Community

First Session: April 2, 2026, 2:00pm ET
Substance use among Veterans and Service Members is a significant behavioral health concern that affects individuals, families, and communities. Building on the March 3, 2026 webinar Addressing Veteran Substance Use: Promoting Recovery Through Collaboration and Compassion, this three-part learning community series will offer participants a deeper exploration of strategies to address substance use, strengthen coordinated systems of care, and improve access to recovery supports for SMVF.
Registration for the series is at capacity and has been closed.

Preventing Suicide Among American Indian and Alaska Native Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Webinar Series

Next Webinar: April 9, 2026, 2:00pm ET
This series of four webinars will bring together champions for the health and well-being of AIAN Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) for a dedicated time of learning, sharing, and collaboration. Each session will feature an expert presentation with engaging group discussion incorporated throughout. Participation in the Learning Series is open to Native and Tribal community leaders, advocates, and service providers committed to supporting the health and well-being of AIAN SMVF.
This link allows you to register for all remaining webinars in this series.

Advancing Data, Policy, and Prevention for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families Webinar Series

Next webinar: April 13, 2026, 2:00pm ET
This six-part webinar series brings together RAND researchers to examine critical issues affecting Service Members, Veterans, and their families across the military-to-civilian transition. The series explores how data, research, and policy insights can inform more effective programs, services, and prevention strategies at national, state, and community levels.
Across the series, individual webinars will focus on topics related to transitioning service members, suicide prevention, or both, depending on the research focus of each session. Sessions will highlight variations in veteran needs across populations and geographies, examine how data are collected and used to inform policy, and translate research findings into practical insights for policymakers, practitioners, and community partners.
This link allows you to register for all remaining webinars in this series.

Partner Events

Suicide and Substance Misuse: Supporting Safety

March 23, 2026, 11:30am ET
This webinar, hosted by the Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS) and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, will provide an overview of risk and protective factors associated with suicide and SUD. It will outline effective prevention and intervention strategies organizations and clinicians can use to assess and treat individuals experiencing or at risk for SUD/OUD and suicide.

Partnership Engagement: Tips and Tricks

April 9, 2026, 1:00pm E
This webinar, hosted by the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention, will highlight how multidisciplinary partnerships enhance fatality review efforts like Child Death Review, Fetal and Infant Mortality Review, and Suicide Mortality Review Committees. It will also offer tips for engaging and collaborating with partners through effective communication and trust.
Newsworthy

RAND: State-Level Summaries of Veteran Needs and Well-Being

The challenges that Veterans face can vary widely from state to state, but most research to date focuses exclusively on national samples and often only on those who use VA services. Yet many programs and services that support Veterans—from state agencies to regional Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) and nonprofit agencies—are planned, funded, and delivered locally.
This report is designed to help fill the regional knowledge gap by using several existing, representative data sources to provide state-specific profiles of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These profiles show how Veterans’ needs vary substantially across states and that these differences should be considered when funding, designing, or implementing services and benefits to improve Veterans' lives. 

SAMHSA Announces $16.1M in New Funding Opportunities to Implement Zero Suicide in Health Systems

Applications due: April 20, 2026
The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $16.1 million in new funding for eligible entities through cooperative agreements to provide resources to healthcare systems for implementing the Zero Suicide framework for adults who are at risk of suicide.
This program supports organizations in transforming care delivery and strengthening systemwide suicide prevention capacity. The program advances the Zero Suicide Framework’s goals by improving identification and engagement of individuals at risk, enhancing care coordination, and fostering continuous quality improvement through data-informed practice.
Resource Center

Problem Gambling Resources

SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center & Suicide Prevention Resources

SAMHSA's SMVF TA Center Information

Governor's and Mayor's Challenge Initiatives
SMVF TA Center Upcoming Events
 
SAMHSA
 
Facebook Twitter Email
SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Disclaimer: SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center develops and distributes Newsletters with support from SAMHSA. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of SAMHSA or HHS.
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
SAMHSA 5600 Fishers Ln
Rockville, MD | 20857 US
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
Subscribe to our email list.