1. Improve Food and Nutrition Security
2. Establish healthy dietary habits
3. Address health issues and establish healthy habits with the support of a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
4. Provide nutritious meals to support the overall health, especially for Veterans living with a mental health diagnosis, including substance use disorder
5. Address social isolation and foster resilience among Veterans through personized outreach and community building

1. Psycho-Educational
2. Medically Tailored Meals
3. Supplemental Client Services
4. Education Modules
5. Evaluation

Integrating healthcare treatment with a food and nutrition intervention supports U.S. Military Veterans with a mental health diagnosis, including substance use disorder (SUD), to 1) reduce hospital and/or emergency department visits and substance use facility readmissions, 2) reduce symptoms, 3) strengthen commitment to a regular medication regimen, 4) improve social connections. Specifically, the impact is:

• Self-Reported reduction in emergency room visits and/or substance use treatment facilities.
• Improve the patient questionnaire, focused on changes in mental health condition symptoms, score pre- and post-food and nutrition intervention.
• Self-reported improvement in consistently following the medication regimen
• Improvement in the overall quality of life through social supports in the Connected Program, and/or through outbound referrals

Eligibility requirements for CONNECTED

1. Prior service in the U.S. Military
2. A qualifying medical and/or mental health diagnosis, including substance use disorder.
3. With medical diagnosis, there is a physical ADL requirement.
4. With a mental health diagnosis, symptoms related to their diagnosis.
5. An Alzheimer’s, dementia, or schizophrenia diagnosis should include a cognitive limitation

What is included on the program:

1. 10 medically Tailored Meals per week (lunch and dinner)
2. Caregivers in the home will receive meals.
3. Dependents also receive meals.
4. Ongoing nutrition support with our RDN’s

Requirements:

1. Medical form signed by a doctor, physician’s assistant, psychiatrist, or a nurse practitioner.
2. Referral
3. HIPAA confidentiality form (All forms available online and can be downloaded. Submit forms via email, fax, or online application.)
4. Must have a refrigerator or a freezer and a way to heat the food.
5. Can be home for delivery (which is 1-2 days per week, between the hours of 8AM and 4PM)
6. Must have a working phone, so we can contact them.

1. Newsletter with Veteran-specific information, mailed and emailed quarterly
2. Bi-monthly virtual wellness meetings, conducted by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and our Behavioral Health Program Administrator. The purpose is to educate Veterans on nutrition and how it impacts mental and physical health. Each session concludes with a meditation to motivate Veterans to engage in self-care. We conclude each session with a chance to speak to our RDNs and with each other.
3. Peer to peer, or VET-to-VET program to have our Veterans connect with each other
4. Nutrition webinars via our Client Nutrition Education Portal:
   1. Mental health conditions and nutrition
   2. Food and mood
   3. Substance use challenges
   4. Daily Practices and Mental Health
   5. Other topics include:
      1. Chronic Disease and Nutrition – Congestive Heart Failure
      2. Chronic Disease and Nutrition – End Stage Renal Disease
      3. Chronic Disease and Nutrition – COPD
      4. Chronic Disease and Nutrition – Type 2 Diabetes