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VA Puget Sound Healthcare System - American Lake Division

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Overview

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VA Puget Sound Health Care System - American Lake Division offers specialized care for Veterans with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. The facility provides inpatient and outpatient detox, medication-assisted treatment, and dual diagnosis programs. A multidisciplinary team, including psychologists, addiction therapists, and chaplains, ensures comprehensive care. Veterans benefit from free parking, shuttle services, and on-site lodging. Services are fully covered for Veterans eligible for VA health care.

Address

9600 Veterans Drive SW
Tacoma, WA 98493

Directions

Ages Served

  • Adults (Ages 26-64)
  • Young Adults (Ages 18-25)

Genders Accepted

  • Female
  • Male

Languages Served

  • Sign language
  • English

Treatment

  • Intensive outpatient treatment (IOP)
  • Outpatient (methadone/buprenorphine or naltrexone treatment)
  • Outpatient detoxification
  • Regular outpatient treatment
  • Residential detoxification
  • Short-term residential

Special Programs

  • Adult men
  • Adult women
  • Past trauma
  • Mental health disorders
  • Veterans

Veteran-Focused Care

  • Specializes in treating Veterans with substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, and rehabilitation needs.
  • Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, addiction therapists, and chaplains.
  • Veteran-specific programs ensure the needs of former military personnel are prioritized, from addiction treatment to mental health support.

Amenities and Experience

  • Free Parking & Shuttle Service: Free parking is available on-site, and shuttle services between American Lake and Seattle VA Medical Centers are provided.
  • Veterans Canteen Service: Offers cafeteria-style dining options, including a Starbucks-serving Patriot Brew for beverages and snacks.
  • Transportation Services: Disabled American Veterans (DAV) van services and public transportation options (Pierce Transit) are available for Veterans needing transportation to medical appointments.
  • Lodging Program: Fully furnished lodging is available for Veterans traveling from rural areas or undergoing extended treatment, with transport provided to medical appointments.
  • Veteran-Centered Environment: The facility is designed to offer a calm and supportive environment, where the unique needs of Veterans are respected.

Holistic, Evidence-Based Treatment

  • FDA-Approved Medications: The facility offers medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid, alcohol, and tobacco use disorders, including medications such as methadone and buprenorphine.
  • Overdose Prevention: Veterans are educated on overdose prevention strategies and provided with naloxone kits.
  • Dual Diagnosis Care: Integrated treatment for both mental health and substance use disorders ensures that both conditions are addressed in tandem.

Specialized Programs and Services

  • Inpatient & Outpatient Detox: Medically supervised detoxification services are available to safely manage withdrawal symptoms.
  • Dual Diagnosis Treatment: Comprehensive care for Veterans dealing with both substance use and mental health conditions, including trauma-related disorders.
  • Washington State-Approved Programs: The facility provides state-approved programs for Veterans required to attend rehabilitation for legal reasons.

Key Staff and Support

  • Multidisciplinary Care Teams: A collaborative team of psychologists, social workers, addiction therapists, and chaplains ensures that Veterans receive comprehensive care tailored to their needs.
  • Spiritual Support: Chaplain services are integrated into treatment plans to provide emotional and spiritual guidance throughout rehabilitation.

Insurance and Coverage

  • VA Health Care Coverage: All services are covered for eligible Veterans through the VA health care system, eliminating out-of-pocket costs for those enrolled.

Cost and Insurance

Insurance Accepted

  • TriWest
  • Other Private Insurance
  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • TRICARE
  • State insurance

Disclaimer: Additional insurance plans may be accepted. Please contact the provider directly to confirm current coverage details, as this information may change.


Cost

$ - Low Cost Facility

Cost ratings are our best estimates to help guide you, not guarantees. Actual costs may vary with treatment, insurance, and other factors. While we aim for accuracy, details may change.

Financial Assistance

  • Does not offer Free
  • Does not offer Payment assistance
  • Does not offer Sliding fee scale

Treatment

Treatment Setting

  • Intensive outpatient treatment (IOP)
  • Outpatient (methadone/buprenorphine or naltrexone treatment)
  • Outpatient detoxification
  • Regular outpatient treatment
  • Residential detoxification
  • Short-term residential

Treatment Approaches

  • Brief intervention
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Incentive-based therapy
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Relapse prevention support
  • Substance use counseling
  • Trauma-focused counseling

Additional Support and Services

  • Case management support
  • Child care services
  • Domestic violence support
  • Help with transportation
  • HIV early intervention services
  • Mental health support
  • Social skills training

Counseling and Education

  • Couples counseling
  • General health education services
  • Group therapy
  • Hepatitis education and support
  • HIV/AIDS education and support
  • Job training and educational support
  • One-on-one counseling
  • Substance use education
  • Tobacco and vaping cessation counseling

Transition Support

  • Discharge and next steps planning
  • Ongoing recovery care
  • Overdose prevention and naloxone education

Testing & Pre-Treatment

  • Breathalyzer testing for alcohol
  • Community outreach and support
  • Comprehensive health checkup
  • Hepatitis B testing
  • Hepatitis C testing
  • Mental health assessment
  • Mental health screening
  • Oral fluid testing for drugs or alcohol
  • Substance use assessment
  • Temporary support for clients
  • Testing for HIV
  • Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Tobacco use assessment
  • Tuberculosis screening
  • Urine testing for drugs or alcohol
  • Substance use screening

Amenities and Experiences

Amenities

  • Access to nature

Room Amenities

  • Internet access

Activities

  • Job training
  • Spiritual or faith-based services

Settings

  • Lakeside

Policies

  • No smoking allowed
  • No vaping allowed

Ownership Type

  • Government (Department of Veterans Affairs)
  • Government (Federal)

Quality and Trust

A

Trust Score

A simple A–E grade that offers a quick view of how much confidence you might place in a facility. It’s not a guarantee of quality or outcomes, but a data-informed tool to help guide your search. More on our methodology.

The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission is one of the most trusted names in healthcare. If a rehab center has this accreditation, it means they meet strong national standards for safety, treatment quality, and staff training.

Learn more

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

CARF reviews rehab programs to make sure they provide respectful, effective, and personalized care. For addiction treatment, CARF uses standards developed with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), so this accreditation shows the program follows trusted, evidence-based guidelines for treating substance use.

Learn more

SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Program

This is a federal certification for programs that offer medication like methadone or buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction. It means the center is legally approved to provide this care, follows strict safety rules, and combines medication with counseling to support long-term recovery.

Learn more

VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Call 253-582-8440

How we research treatment facilities

Across the site, our team has conducted over 1,000 pre-admissions calls to better understand the patient experience, interviewed facility clinical leaders, performed facility background checks, and compared our information against trusted public data sources.

Our research process begins with data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), accrediting bodies including The Joint Commission and CARF, government licensing agencies, and other trusted sources. From there, our team conducts significant original research, including:

- Pre-admissions calls: We speak with admissions staff to get a candid picture of patient experience.

- Background checks: We review complaints from past clients, media reports, actions taken by accrediting bodies, and positive recognition from notable organizations.

- Clinical interviews: We have in-depth conversations with clinical leadership, often lasting up to one hour, that give us a better understanding of clinical care.

- Data partnerships: We ingest and analyze exclusive data that provides information about in-network insurance status, cost, and more.

Research varies by facility. Each facility profile shows which research steps we completed and when each step was last performed. Learn more about our research process and background checks.

How we evaluate treatment facilities

These data help us develop a Trust Score for each facility—a simple letter grade that helps you assess how much confidence to place in a facility based on the information available to us. Trust Score considers accreditation, operating history, notable recognition, and concerns identified during our background check. Our Trust Score is an objective rating that is never influenced by advertiser payment. Learn more about our Trust Score methodology.

Important disclaimer

We cannot guarantee the quality of treatment at any facility. We cannot independently confirm the accuracy of every data point, and some information may become outdated or change over time. A Trust Score is a starting point, not a guarantee of treatment quality or outcomes. Please contact us if you would like to update or correct facility information.