Texas is home to approximately 1.4 million veterans, and for some, access to a VA healthcare can be difficult.

Veterans often face challenges accessing care, such as long waitlists and distance to services, according to Kelly Clary, a professor of social work at Texas State University.

“I think that more agencies, community agencies, need to be more prepared and aware and educated to support veterans,” said Clary, who has researched veteran issues for five years. “So, I think society can do a better job of supporting veterans.”

Depending on the VA location, there is specialty care for different issues veterans face. The goal of Clary’s research is to find the best way to support veterans, from mental health care to transitioning out of the military.

‘’(It’s) really thinking about how we can tailor programs and outreach to best serve veterans, knowing that this population has their own kind of characteristics and their own background and their own experiences,” said Clary.

To adjust to civilian life, some veterans choose rural living to find their own freedoms and focus on the next chapter of their life, according to Clary, but that freedom can come at a price.  It can be more difficult for veterans living in those more remote areas to access resources, such as VA healthcare and community resources.

“They don’t have time, or they don’t feel as if they can access a resource or community agency because of where they live,” said Clary.

Gabriella Alcorta is a journalism major at Texas State University and an intern for Texas Community Health News, a collaboration between the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the university's Translational Health Research Center. TCHN stories, reports and data visualizations are provided free to Texas newsrooms.