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Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) Can Be a Trusted Source of Assistance

• FBOs not only attend to veterans' spiritual needs, but also, as a group, address many other areas of veteran health and wellness.
• Veterans may look to FBOs for support because they offer privacy and confidentiality, two features that may be especially critical when a potential stigma is involved.
• Some FBOs have fostered a reputation as safe havens for veterans, ones that provide supportive, judgment-free environments.
• FBOs are already interacting with other organizations in the web of reintegration support, including government entities, private nonprofits, and one another.

But These Organizations Face Challenges

• FBOs' work with veterans is sometimes limited by insufficient connections with chaplains working in different settings and with others in the web of support.
• Additional barriers FBOs face include resource and capacity constraints, lack of awareness or experience with veterans, and characteristics of veterans themselves.
• Some FBOs do not measure their impact, which can hinder their ability to serve veterans most effectively and efficiently.
• Partnerships may be necessary to fully realize FBO capacity to support veterans and to evaluate the effectiveness of such support.