LGBTQ+ Veteran care

Connect with a care coordinator

Via secure message in My Healthe Vet: ATL_LGBTQ+_%

Via email: VHAATG_LGBTQ_VCC@va.gov

Care we provide at VA Atlanta 

Our LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinators can answer your questions, advocate for your right to quality care, handle complaints or concerns you have about your care, and help you get started with any of our services for LGBTQ+ Veterans. These include:

• Mental health services, including brief consultation, group psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy, substance/alcohol use treatment, tobacco use treatment, specialty mental health services
• Pride Support Group
• Pride in All Who Served psychoeducation group
• Military sexual trauma screening and treatment
• Gender-affirming Care
  • Psychosocial Assessments for gender affirming surgeries
  • Hormone therapy
  • Gender-affirming prosthetics (binders, packers, stand-to-pee devices, prosthetic hair)
  • Pre- and post-surgical care (before/after gender-affirming surgeries)
  • Vocal coaching
  • Medically necessary hair removal
• Testing, counseling, and care for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Veterans at risk for HIV
• Cancer screening, prevention, and treatment
• Whole Health for Life
• Fertility and family building
• Other prevention, screening, wellness, and testing services

Policies and practices to know

The care coordinator can help you get started with care or with navigating any of these issues.

Advance directives: Veterans may designate any person as a decision-maker for care if they won't be able to make these decisions themselves. This includes same-sex partners. Advance directive agents are chosen by the Veteran and do not need to be biologically related.

Changing name or sex in records: Your name in your medical record will reflect your legal name; however, you have the option to add your chosen name and your self-identified gender identity. You can do so through your va.gov account. For more direction, please reach out to your LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinators. 

Definition of family: "Family" may include individual(s) not legally related to the individual. Family members include spouses, domestic partners, different-sex and same-sex significant others.

Documentation in medical records: VA Atlanta maintains the confidentiality of information about sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and gender identity, just like any other private health information.

Health Equity Index: Like most public and private hospital systems, the Atlanta VA Health Care System participates in the biennial Health Equity Index review of factors related to LGBTQ+ care. 

Special Observances: The VA celebrates multiple observances annually. Look for local or national programming related to LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week (third week in March), LGBTQ+ Pride month (June), bisexual awareness week (September), LGBTQ History month (October), National Coming Out Day (October 11), Transgender Awareness Month (November), Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20)

Visitation: A same-sex partner, family member, friend, or other individual can be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of the patient's stay.