It was a fair question. And at the time, we had a fair answer: we trust our clinical partners. Every organization we had brought into the Veteran Wellness Alliance (VWA) through Check-In, a tool to connect veterans and their families to high-quality mental and brain health care, had been rigorously vetted. They use evidence-based treatments. They serve veterans and military families with real commitment and cultural competency. We believed in them.

But belief and proof are different things. And the people we serve deserve both. So, at the President’s behest, we went to work.

In 2023, the VWA launched a Clinical Outcomes Working Group. We gathered clinical leaders from across the Alliance, including Road Home Program, Cohen Veterans Network, Centerstone’s Military Services, UCLA Health Operation Mend, the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, SHARE Military Initiative, and others.

In over a dozen working sessions spanning two years, we did something that almost never happens in the nonprofit space: organizations that could reasonably view each other as competitors for finite philanthropic funding chose instead to share data.

Each organization agreed to share its outcomes in the same report because they care more about the people they serve than about looking better than each other. That alone is worth recognizing and celebrating.

We agreed on three categories of measurement: clinical outcomes, client satisfaction, and process outcomes (specifically, timely access to care). For clinical outcomes, we aligned on two industry-standard tools used across all participating programs: the PCL-5, which measures PTS symptom severity, and the PHQ-9, which tracks depression. Both are brief, scientifically validated, and widely used in clinical settings. They gave us a common language.

Here’s the good news: The data confirmed that these programs are truly effective.

On the PHQ-9, between 57% and 72% of clients experienced clinically significant improvement in depression symptoms. On the PCL-5, 59% of clients in outpatient programs and 68% of clients in intensive inpatient programs saw clinically significant reductions in PTS symptoms. Across every participating organization, the overwhelming majority of clients said they would recommend the program to a fellow veteran or family member, and satisfaction scores were consistently high.

On the process side, VWA outpatient clinical partners average just under 20 days from intake to a first therapy appointment. That’s an impressive number in a mental health landscape where wait times ordinarily can stretch to months.

None of this surprised us. But it changed the conversation. Because now, when someone asks whether veterans are actually getting better, we don’t have to say “we think so.” We can say yes, and here is how we know.

What these organizations did is uncommon. The philanthropic funding landscape is competitive. Every grant dollar that goes to one organization does not go to another. There is a real incentive to protect your data, your brand, your story. These organizations set that incentive aside because the mission was bigger than the competition.

It is also a signal to anyone in the veteran and military family community who is on the fence about seeking care. The programs accessible through Check-In are not just well-intentioned. They are accountable. They are measuring their results, sharing them honestly, and continuing to raise the bar.

If you are a veteran or military family member who has been hesitant to reach out for mental or brain health support, this data is for you. It is not a marketing pitch. It is what happened when a group of serious clinicians agreed to hold themselves accountable to the same standard and share what they found. The results speak clearly: the care is working, the people receiving it are satisfied, and you will not be waiting long.

You can visit veterancheckin.org to connect with a high-quality clinical partner in your area or even get to know some of the incredible peer networks we partner with to get involved in your community. President Bush asked how we know people are getting better. Now we can show him. And we’d be very happy to show you.

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Blayne Smith is Director of Health and Wellbeing at the George W. Bush Institute’s Veterans and Military Families program and co-founder of Applied Leadership Partners. He is a West Point graduate and former Army Special Forces officer.

Finding meaningful employment, overcoming barriers to education, a lack of social connectedness and engagement with family, and financial hardships are frequently caused or made worse by stress, anxiety, and depression. That can lead to things like substance abuse.

Getting the care to address these issues has probably never been as easy as it is today, but many veterans still don’t reach out for support. The military teaches service members to be tough and push through pain, which can be helpful in combat or training during service, but hurt other aspects of life. It can convince veterans that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

But the truth is, asking for help takes courage, and it’s one of the strongest things a person can do. Putting aside ego and pride and seeking and accepting care can be life-changing, not only for the veteran but their loved ones. A good place to start navigating a confusing mental and brain health care landscape is the Check-In tool from the George W. Bush Institute’s Veteran Wellness Alliance. It connects veterans and their family members to high-quality and military competent mental and brain health services – and it’s free.

Check-In helps people quickly find trained professionals who truly understand military life. Whether you need someone to talk to, help managing stress, or support for something more serious, Check-In can get you to the most appropriate care anywhere in the United States.

Many veterans avoid mental health care because they think no one could possibly understand what they’ve been through. Military experiences, including deployments, combat, loss, and stress, can be hard to explain. Many veterans worry that a counselor or practitioner won’t “get it,” especially if they themselves haven’t served.

That’s why military cultural competence is so important – that the person helping you knows the challenges service members and their families face. That they understand the language, the structure, and the unique pressures that come with serving or being the family member of a veteran.

When care providers understand your background, it’s easier to trust them – and trust is key when dealing with mental health.

One of the best things about Check-In is that it’s simple and confidential. There’s no judgment, no long wait, and no need to explain everything from scratch. Just real help, when and where you need it.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress are treatable medical conditions, just like physical issues. Using tools like Check-In, veterans can take care of themselves and show others that it’s OK to ask for help.

If you’re a veteran or someone who cares about one, know that you aren’t alone. Taking that first step can make a huge difference – whether it’s talking to a friend, reaching out to a support group, or connecting through Check-In. It can change and save your life.

Together, let’s make sure every veteran and every military family knows it’s OK not to be OK, and that help is always within reach when you’re ready.

Christopher Vidaurre is Senior Program Manager of Veterans and Military Families at the George W. Bush Institute.