If you want to support veterans in Michigan, start by saving one number: the Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255, any time of day or night. Beyond a crisis, Michigan veterans and their families can get free help with benefits and housing, and friends and neighbors can make a real difference just by staying close. Here's a practical guide to the resources and the ways to help.
The transition home: common challenges after service
Leaving the military means more than a new address. Daily structure, a built-in community and a clear sense of mission can change almost overnight. Many veterans make the move smoothly, while others face several challenges at once:
- Finding civilian work that uses the skills they built in uniform
- Sorting out VA benefits, health care enrollment and paperwork
- Finding stable housing, especially during a job search
- Living with injuries, pain or trouble sleeping
- Stress, depression or post-traumatic stress
- Reconnecting with family and finding a new community
None of these is a sign of weakness. Asking for help early, from VA, a veteran service officer or someone you trust, can keep a hard stretch from becoming a crisis.
Mental health and suicide prevention: know the crisis line
The Veterans Crisis Line is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You don't need to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to use it. It serves veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and the family and friends who support them.
- Call: dial 988, then press 1
- Text: 838255
- Chat: online at VeteransCrisisLine.net
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Connection to care matters. VA released its 2026 annual suicide prevention report in September, covering data through 2024. It found that 62% of veterans who died by suicide in 2024 weren't receiving VA health care that year or the year before. From 2001 to 2024, suicide rates fell 2.2% among veterans enrolled in VA care and climbed 70.8% among veterans who weren't. Helping someone connect with care is a concrete way to help.
Housing, jobs and benefits: Michigan and federal help
- Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. Veterans and their families can find a veteran service officer near them by calling 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) or visiting Michigan.gov/MVAA. Service officers help with VA claims and benefits at no cost, and the agency also offers free copies of DD-214 discharge papers it has on file.
- County veterans offices. Many Michigan counties employ their own veteran service officers, who can help with benefits and local assistance.
- Housing. Veterans who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing can call VA's National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. The call is free, confidential and answered 24/7.
- Work, school and health care. Ask your service officer about the education and employment benefits you've earned, and about enrolling in VA health care if you haven't yet.
How family and friends can support a veteran in transition
You don't need special training to help. Showing up consistently matters most.
- Check in often. A call, a text or an invitation goes a long way, so keep inviting even when the answer is sometimes no.
- Listen more than you talk. Stay calm, skip the judgment and let them share what they want to share.
- Help with practical tasks, like rides to appointments, resume feedback or benefit paperwork.
- Know the warning signs. The Veterans Crisis Line's list includes hopelessness and feeling there's no reason to live. It also includes pulling away from family and friends, rising alcohol or drug use, and giving away prized possessions.
- Ask directly. If you're worried, it's okay to ask whether they're thinking about suicide. The Veterans Crisis Line says asking doesn't increase the risk.
- Make the call together. You can offer to call the crisis line with them, and you can call it yourself for advice on how to help.
Giving time or money: how to vet veteran charities
Generous people are a target for sound-alike charities, so a few minutes of checking goes a long way.
- Search the Michigan Attorney General's charity database. Many charities that raise money in Michigan must register with the Attorney General. Registration isn't an endorsement, but a missing listing is a reason to ask questions.
- Check the exact name. Some groups use names that sound almost identical to well-known veterans organizations.
- Ask how your gift is used, and get the answer in writing.
- Pay safely. Don't give by cash, gift card or wire transfer to someone who contacts you out of the blue.
- Give time, too. VA medical centers, county veterans offices and established veterans organizations often welcome volunteers.
What veterans should know about legal cannabis, VA care and benefits
Michigan allows adult-use cannabis for adults 21 and older, and registered medical patients 18 and older can buy too. VA follows federal law, and as of October 2026 its guidance, described in VHA Directive 1315, comes down to a few points:
- VA says veterans won't be denied VA benefits because of marijuana use.
- VA encourages veterans to talk with their VA providers about marijuana use.
- VA clinicians can't recommend medical marijuana or complete state program forms.
- VA won't pay for medical marijuana.
- Using or possessing marijuana is prohibited on all VA grounds, and veterans who work for VA are subject to drug testing.
VA's guidance page was last updated in August 2023. In May 2026 the House passed spending language that would let VA doctors recommend medical marijuana where it's legal. VA's published guidance hadn't changed as of October 2026, so ask your VA care team whether anything has changed. If you're considering a Michigan medical card, you'll work with a provider outside VA, and our medical card page explains the steps. For more on VA policy and what research has and hasn't found, see our article on veterans and cannabis.
Cannabis isn't a substitute for medical or mental health care, so talk with your clinician before using it, especially if you take medications. Our team at any High Society location can answer general questions about Michigan's ID and purchase requirements, but we can't give medical advice.
How to support veterans in Michigan beyond Veterans Day
Veterans Day, on November 11, honors everyone who has served. Support means the most when it lasts all year:
- Hire veterans, and support veteran-owned businesses in your town.
- Volunteer with an established veterans organization or your county veterans office.
- Look out for military and veteran families, who serve too.
- Share the crisis line with your friends and coworkers: dial 988, then press 1.
- Say thank you, then stay in touch.
Thank you to everyone who has served, and to the families who served alongside them.
