To generate new knowledge about the causes and treatments of mental disorders, apply new findings to model clinical programs, and widely disseminate new findings through education to improve the quality of veterans’ lives and their daily functioning in their recovering from mental illness.
The mission of VISN 1 MIRECC is to improve services for veterans with "dual diagnosis", that is veterans with histories of mental illness in combination with addiction problems. These veterans have unique needs, because having two types of illness makes it more difficult to recover from either one.
Mehmet Sofuoglu, MD, PhD
Acting Director Mehmet.Sofuoglu@va.gov Mehmet.Sofuoglu@yale.edu
(203) 937-4809
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Yale University School of Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare
950 Campbell Avenue (151D)
Building 35, Lower Level, Rm. 35
West Haven, CT 06516
Email: Patricia.Sweeney@va.gov
Phone: (781) 687-3015
The focus is on maximizing recovery for veterans with Serious Mental Illnesses (SMI) by bringing research into practice. Our aim, to reveal the causes and most effective treatments of serious mental illnesses, is accomplished through collaborations between four core domains: research, education, clinical interventions, and evaluation.
Larry Siever, M.D., Director Larry.Siever@va.gov
James J Peters VA Medical Center
130 W. Kingsbridge Road
Bronx, NY 10468
(718) 584-9000, extension 5227
Comorbidity (co-occurrence) of psychiatric disorders with physical illness and/or substance use disorders
The focus of our Center is the treatment and prevention of comorbid medical, mental health, and/or substance use disorders, with the aim of improving the mental and physical health, quality of life, and outcomes of healthcare services for veterans with mental illness. This is accomplished through: translational neuroscience, other clinical research, and health services research; education and training programs; clinical programs built on research findings; and involvement of the 10 VA Medical Centers (eight spoke VAMCs as well as the two host sites and collaborating universities).
David Oslin, M.D., Director
Philadelphia VA Medical Center
3900 Woodland Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 823-5800, x5894
Email: Dave.Oslin@va.gov
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
7180 Highland Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 954-5352
The purpose of the VA Capitol Healthcare Network (VISN 5) MIRECC is to develop a center for research, training, and service for veterans with schizophrenia and their families. Our work, particularly in regard to substance abuse, and mental health service systems and health care economics, extends to veterans with other severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) as well.
Richard W. Goldberg, Ph.D., Acting Director Richard.Goldberg@va.gov
VISN5 MIRECC
VA Maryland Health Care System
10 N. Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 637-1850
The Mid-Atlantic MIRECC is organized as a translational medicine center in which the overarching goal is the clinical assessment and treatment of post-deployment mental illness and related problems, and the development of novel mental health interventions through basic and clinical research. This MIRECC aims: (1) To determine whether early intervention in post-deployment mental health is effective in forestalling the development or decreasing the severity of postdeployment mental illness, (2) To determine what neuroimaging, genetic, neurocognitive, or other characteristics predict the development of post-deployment mental illness, and (3) To assess the longitudinal course of post-deployment mental illness.
John A. Fairbank, PhD, Director John.Fairbank2@va.gov
Mid-Atlantic MIRECC
VA Medical Center
508 Fulton Street
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 286-0411, extension 6154
To improve access to evidence-based practices in rural and other underserved populations, especially returning war veterans, veterans experiencing natural disasters, and vulnerable elderly veterans. The South Central MIRECC’s organizational structure includes four major components: Research, Education, Improving Clinical Care, and Research Training.
Greer Sullivan, M.D., M.S.P.H., Director sullivangreer@uams.edu
South Central MIRECC
VA Medical Center (16MIR-NLR)
2200 Fort Roots Drive
North Little Rock, AR 72114
(501) 257-1971
The mission of the VISN 19 MIRECC is to study suicide with the goal of reducing suicidality in the veteran population. To carry out this mission, members of the VISN 19 MIRECC: 1) focus on cognitive and neurobiological underpinnings that may contribute to suicidality; 2) develop evidence-based educational and clinical materials to identify and optimally treat veterans who are suicidal; 3) provide consultation regarding assessment and treatment planning for highly suicidal veterans; 4) mentor researchers in the area of suicidology; and 5) collaborate with others in the study and treatment of veterans who are at risk of suicide.
Lisa Brenner Ph.D. ABPP
Acting Director Lisa.Brenner@va.gov
VISN 19 MIRECC
Eastern Colorado Health Care System
1055 Clermont Street
Denver, CO 80220
303.393.5275
The Northwest MIRECC applies modern genetic, neurobiologic and clinical trial methodology to the discovery and development of new and more effective treatments for major and often treatment resistant mental disorders afflicting veterans and the active duty combat personnel who will become veterans. Translational research efforts focus on treatment for PTSD and its substance abuse comorbidities (alcohol and tobacco); the chronic behavioral consequences of mTBI and its objective diagnosis through biomarkers; the elderly veteran with agitated dementia; and schizophrenia and the adverse metabolic consequences of antipsychotic drug therapy.
Murray A. Raskind, M.D., Director Murray.Raskind@va.gov
Northwest MIRECC
VA Puget Sound Health Care System
1660 S. Columbian Way
Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 764-2067
The mission of the Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (SPMIRECC) is to build an integrated system of clinical, research, and educational efforts to improve the clinical care for veterans with dementias and PTSD. Dementia and PTSD share common clinical symptoms including cognitive difficulties, sleep disorders and agitation and the SP-MIRECC aims to evaluate current approaches and develop new treatments for these clinical problems.
Jerome Yesavage, M.D., Director Jerome.Yesavage@va.gov
Sierra Pacific MIRECC
Palo Alto VAHCS 151Y
3801 Miranda Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94304
650-852-3287
The mission of the VISN 22, Desert Pacific MIRECC is to improve the long-term functional outcome of patients with chronic psychotic mental disorders, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and psychotic mood disorders. We approach this mission through an integrated program of research, education, and clinical programs aimed at translating findings from the research laboratory into improved clinical care. Moreover, our program spans the spectrum from basic brain biology to the organization of services for veterans.
The CIH principal focus is on co-located collaborative care (CCC) where mental health providers (MHPs) (psychologists, social workers, or psychiatric prescribers) work side-by-side with medical primary care providers. CIH works collaboratively with other VA centers that specialize in care management of mental health disorders to successfully blend the two components.
Stephen A. Maisto, PhD Stephen.Maisto@va.gov
Center for Integrated Healthcare
Syracuse VA Medical Center
800 Irving Avenue (116C)
Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 425-6546
In August 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs established a Center of Excellence at Canandaigua (CoE), organized as a prevention and research center embracing the overreaching goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality in the Veteran population associated with suicide. To this end, the Center’s mission is to develop and study Veteran focused, evidenced based, public health approaches to suicide prevention. A public health approach is defined as the integration of broadly based population level interventions designed to reach all Veterans, with targeted approaches to reach subpopulations of Veterans at high risk for suicidal behaviors. The CoE at Canandaigua seeks to meet this mission through serving as a national, regional and local resource on suicide research and prevention and mental health through two key Cores: the Epidemiology and Interventions Research Core and the Education, Training and Dissemination Core.
Kerry L. Knox, M.S. Ph.D. Kerry.Knox@va.gov
Center of Excellence at Canandaigua,
Canandaigua VA Medical Center
400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424
The VISN 17 Center of Excellence (COE) for Research on Returning War Veterans was originated in 2006 when Congress instructed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate the Waco campus as a Center of Excellence to focus on mental health/post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) needs. The COE enables VA to consolidate personnel, training, and specialized resources in an efficient manner to improve knowledge related to treatment, prevention, rehabilitation, and clinical services to our nation’s veterans, with particular focus on those veterans returning from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OEF/OIF).
Suzy Bird Gulliver, PhD Suzy.Gulliver@va.gov
VISN 17 Center of Excellence
VA Medical Center
4800 Memorial Drive (151C)
Waco, TX 76711
(254) 297-3586
In response to the increasing prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other stress-related mental health problems in veterans, the Veterans Administration in 2006 awarded the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and VISN 22 a Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health. This center consists of a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, educators and researchers whose goal is to understand, prevent, and heal the effects of stress.
James B. Lohr, MD James.Lohr2@va.gov
CESAMH
VA San Diego Healthcare System
3350 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego, CA 92161
(858) 642-3762
Coaching into Care is a free and confidential coaching service to help callers discover new ways to talk with their Veteran about their concerns and about treatment options.
VA Mental Health and Chaplaincy is a national initiative that aims to acheive a more collaborative system of care for the benefit of Veterans and their families. The initiative is born out of understanding mental health and spirituality as interrelated aspects of overall health that are optimally attended to within a coordinated system of care. Through education, research, clinical activities, and policy work, the Mental Health and Chaplaincy program seeks to foster the development of a more integrated system of healthcare by involving and equipping care providers in each of the four domains.
