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Military Sexual Trauma: Getting Support and Care

Military sexual trauma — sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment experienced during military service — is common enough that both the VA and DoD have built dedicated, confidential paths to care around it. You don't need to have reported it at the time, filed a disability claim, or have any documentation to get support. This is about what's actually available and how to reach it, not about convincing anyone your experience counts.

Last updated September 2026

Getting help right now, confidentially

The DoD Safe Helpline (877-995-5247, safehelpline.org) is a 24/7, confidential hotline for the DoD community — service members, activated Guard/Reserve, and their adult family members — run by RAINN under contract with the Department of Defense. You can call, text, or use their online chat, and reaching out doesn't commit you to reporting anything.

VA care doesn't require a claim, a rating, or proof

Every VA medical facility has an MST coordinator whose job is to help you access MST-related care — you can ask for that person by name. VA's eligibility standard here is deliberately relaxed: you don't need a police report, a service record documenting the assault, or a disability rating to receive free treatment for MST-related mental or physical health conditions, and you may be able to get this care even if you don't otherwise qualify for VA health benefits.

Filing a disability claim for a service-connected condition related to MST is a separate, optional track from getting care — you can get treatment without ever filing one, and getting care first doesn't foreclose filing later.

What this actually covers

MST-related care isn't limited to a single diagnosis — it includes treatment for PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use, and physical health conditions connected to the experience, for as long as it's needed. It's available regardless of gender, and regardless of whether the person who caused harm was the same or a different sex.

If you're currently serving

Reporting options through your service (restricted vs. unrestricted reporting) exist separately from the confidential support lines above, with real differences in what triggers an official investigation — the Safe Helpline can walk you through that distinction without requiring you to decide anything on the call.

Worth discussing with your provider

You can ask specifically for your facility's MST coordinator — this doesn't require a referral

Care isn't contingent on filing a claim, having a rating, or having reported the experience at the time

You can request a provider of a specific gender if that affects your comfort with care

Intimate Partner Violence: Why It's Part of Routine Care →Clinical Depression: Recognizing It and What Actually Helps →Mental Health Check-In →

Educational information only — general patterns that vary by person. This is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for care from your own clinician.

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