During PTSD Awareness Month, the Orange County center spotlights EMDR-based dual-diagnosis care and TRICARE/Tri-West coverage for veterans.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — This June, in recognition of PTSD Awareness Month and National PTSD Awareness Day on June 27, Asana Recovery — a four-time Newsweek Best Addiction Treatment Center in California — is calling attention to a population that too often falls through the gaps between mental health care and addiction care: veterans living with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a substance use disorder (SUD).
For these veterans, treating one condition while ignoring the other rarely works. The science is clear that the two are deeply intertwined. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, more than four in ten U.S. adults with PTSD also struggle with drug or alcohol use. Among veterans, the overlap is a defining clinical reality. Research drawn from VA electronic health records indicates that the majority of veterans diagnosed with a substance use disorder also meet criteria for PTSD, and that roughly one in five veterans with PTSD has a co-occurring SUD. PTSD is among the most common psychiatric diagnoses across the veteran population.
“When a veteran self-medicates to quiet hypervigilance, nightmares, or intrusive memories, the substance use isn’t the whole story — it’s a survival strategy that stopped working,” said Sheida Shavalian, LMFT, Clinical Director at Asana Recovery. “If you only treat the addiction, the trauma that’s driving it is still there waiting. Our job is to treat both at the same time, in the same plan, with clinicians who understand how trauma actually lives in the body and the nervous system.”
Integrating EMDR and Trauma-Informed Care for Dual-Diagnosis Veterans
At the center of Asana Recovery’s approach is integrated dual-diagnosis treatment — addressing PTSD and substance use concurrently rather than sequentially, an approach widely regarded as best practice for this population.
The clinical foundation combines trauma-focused therapies recognized in national treatment guidelines. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they lose their grip, is delivered alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) where clinically appropriate. Wrapping all of it is a trauma-informed care model, meaning every interaction — from intake to group therapy — is designed to rebuild safety and trust rather than risk re-traumatization.
Crucially, this care is delivered on an outpatient basis. Through Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), standard Outpatient (OP) programs, and a fully remote Virtual IOP available across California, veterans can engage in intensive trauma and addiction treatment without stepping away from the lives they’re rebuilding.
Why Outpatient PTSD Treatment Is Growing as Veterans Return to Civilian Work
That flexibility is increasingly what veterans need. As more service members transition back into civilian jobs, school, and family life, the demand for treatment that fits around work has grown, and outpatient care has become a primary entry point rather than only a step-down from residential treatment.
“A veteran shouldn’t have to choose between keeping a new job and getting help for PTSD,” said Yesenia Nicols, Vice President at Asana Recovery. “Outpatient care lets someone do trauma work in the morning and still make their shift, still pick up their kids, still show up for the civilian life they fought to come home to. For a lot of the veterans we serve, that’s the difference between starting treatment and putting it off another year.”
Asana Recovery’s programming reflects that reality, with dedicated tracks for veterans and first responders, career development support, and scheduling built around real-world commitments.
What the VA Community Care Pathway Means for Orange County Veterans
A persistent barrier for veterans seeking addiction and PTSD treatment has been navigating coverage. Under the VA’s community care framework, eligible veterans can receive care from approved community providers when the VA cannot offer timely or accessible treatment in-house, bringing high-quality, local options within reach.
For Orange County veterans, that pathway recently became more streamlined. As of January 1, 2025, TriWest Healthcare Alliance administers the TRICARE West Region, which includes California, and TriWest has also served as the VA’s third-party administrator for the Community Care Network covering California for more than a decade. In practical terms, a single administrator now connects many Southern California veterans and their families to community-based care across both the military and veteran health systems.
Asana Recovery accepts both TRICARE and Tri-West (VA Community Care Network), positioning its outpatient PTSD and dual-diagnosis programs as an in-network option for eligible Orange County veterans. The center’s admissions team works directly with veterans to verify benefits and coordinate the referral and authorization process.
“The veterans who need this care the most are often the ones with the least patience for paperwork and phone trees — and understandably so,” Nicols added. “We try to take that weight off them. Tell us you served, and we’ll do the legwork on coverage so the focus stays on treatment.”
Help Is Available Now
Veterans in crisis can reach the Veterans Crisis Line any time by dialing 988 and pressing 1, by texting 838255, or by chatting online at VeteransCrisisLine.net. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7, and veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use it.
Veterans, family members, and referring providers can learn more about Asana Recovery’s veterans program, PTSD and trauma treatment, and dual-diagnosis care, or verify insurance benefits, at asanarecovery.com or by calling (949) 763-3440.
About Asana Recovery
Asana Recovery is a family-owned outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center serving Orange County and Southern California since 2017. From its Fountain Valley outpatient center and sober living homes in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach, Asana Recovery provides evidence-based treatment for substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions — including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and trauma — through Outpatient (OP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), Partial Hospitalization (PHP), and Virtual IOP programs. The center offers specialized tracks for veterans, first responders, and other communities, and has been named one of Newsweek’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers in California for four consecutive years (2022–2025). Asana Recovery is in-network with major insurers including TRICARE and Tri-West (VA Community Care Network). Learn more at asanarecovery.com.
Mark Shandrow
Asana Recovery
+1 949-438-4504
email us here
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