Northeast Massachusetts
In 2022, there were around 76,903 veterans living in Northeastern Mass, including 2,871 women. This page includes local events and directories of veterans’ services; veterans outreach centers; VA clinics and Vet Centers; community behavioral health centers; peer recovery support centers; elder services; community resources; posts and auxiliaries; VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys; peer recovery meetings; and veteran owned businesses, as well as census, VA spending, and public health data for the Northeast Region.
When submitting events, use the #greater-boston tag for events in the Northeast Region so they show up here. Some towns are also part of the #boston-metro, #metrowest, #north-shore, and #merrimack-valley areas. Use the listing below to search for events by city or town. As long as you include the name of the city or town in the listing, they will show up at the links below.
Executive Office of Veterans Services
The mission of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) is to act as the primary advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealth’s veterans. The Office provides outreach and support through various programs.
EOVS offers assistance to eligible veterans and their surviving spouses through the MassVets Financial Benefits Program. Veterans may use the Mass Vet Benefit Calculator to see what they may qualify for and contact their local veterans’ services office below to apply.
Veterans’ Services Districts in Northeast Mass
MGL Chapter 115 requires each town/city have a veterans’ agent to administer these benefits, but two or more contiguous towns can also appoint someone to serve as veterans’ agent and form districts. Various cities and towns in the Northeast Region share a veterans’ agent or are served by a Veterans’ Services District below.
Veterans Northeast Outreach Center
The Veterans Northeast Outreach Center (VNEOC) in Haverhill provides a full continuum of care to veterans and their families in the Northeast Region in Essex and Middlesex Counties, assisting at risk and low-income veterans with basic food and shelter needs, housing, advocacy, social engagement, community activities, case management, and VA benefits and claims assistance.
Veterans in the area who are homeless, or at immediate risk of becoming homeless, can contact VNOC at (978) 372-3626 for assistance.
Clear Path for Veterans New England
Clear Path for Veterans New England works to create a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for veterans to seamlessly integrate into their communities in Devens and offers support through community meals, employment, peer-to-peer programs, wellness and clinical services, service/support dogs, community and group spaces, and recreation and training grounds.
VA Healthcare in Northeast Mass
Northeast Region veterans are served by the VA Boston and VA Bedford Healthcare System with three hospitals, seven clinics, and two Vet Centers in the Greater Boston area. Anyone who has served in the military is encouraged to apply to determine their eligibility and Priority Group. Some veterans are exempt from co-pays due to their VA rating, income, or special eligibility factors.
Community Behavioral Health Centers
Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) are one-stop shops for mental health and substance use services and treatment. The network includes 12 centers in Northeast Massachusetts offering immediate, confidential care for mental health and substance use needs. CBHCs are open daily for walk-ins, routine appointments, and crisis care, including Mobile Crisis Intervention.
CBHCs are closely connected to the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL). The BHHL is a 24/7 clinical hotline staffed by trained behavioral health providers and peer coaches who offer clinical assessment, treatment referrals, and crisis triage services. Staff directly connect callers with the nearest CBHC when appropriate.
Peer Recovery Support Centers
Peer Recovery Support Centers (PRSC) in Massachusetts are free accessible peer-led spaces that provide individuals in recovery from substance use, as well as their family members and loved ones, an opportunity to offer and receive human connection, community inclusion, peer support, and access to non-clinical resources. There are 14 centers in the Northeast Region.
The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline is staffed by a dedicated team of harm reductionists and people with lived and living experience with overdose. The hotline is not a recovery or treatment helpline; it connects people using drugs with trained operators who can call for help in case of overdose. It is available to anyone at risk of overdose.
Elder Services in Northeast Mass
Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) are private, non-profit agencies established under MGL Chapter 19A. ASAPs provide direct and protective services, including information and referrals; interdisciplinary case management; intake and assessment; developing, implementing, and monitoring service plans; reassessing needs; and investigating reports of elder abuse and neglect.
Councils on Aging (COAs) are municipal agencies that provide local outreach, social and health services, advocacy, information and referral for older adults, their families, and caregivers. COAs and Senior Centers serve as advocates and links to support services for elders, families, and caregivers. They offer outreach, transportation, meals, health screenings, health insurance counseling, and life-long learning, social, fitness, wellness, and recreation activities.
MassOptions is a service of the Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) that can also help older adults, people with disabilities, and family members or caregivers identify aging and disability services and connect to those that can meet their needs. Call (800) 243-4636 or click here to complete a referral.
Northeast Mass Resource Network
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The Veterans Posts and Auxiliaries directory includes information about the VFW and American Legion Posts, Marine Corps League Detachments, and DAV Chapters based in cities and towns in the Northeast Region.
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The directory below includes VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys based in Northeast Region cities and towns from the VA Office of the General Counsel’s Accreditation Search Tool as of July 2024. The VA provides accreditation to ensure VA claimants receive qualified assistance preparing and presenting their claims in accordance with VA Standards of Conduct.
12-Step Recovery Meetings in Northeast Mass
Twelve-step recovery programs meet online and in public settings to guide individuals in their recovery and generally have a general spiritual foundation, encouraging participants to look to a higher power, however they define it. The directory below links to 12-step programs by city/town.
Veteran Owned Businesses in Northeast Mass
This Veteran Owned Businesses directory is based on publicly available information and listings of veteran owned businesses in Northeast Mass. Click here to submit a business or update information.
Veterans in Northeast Mass
Based on 2022 ACS 5-year estimates, there are around 76,903 veterans living in Northeastern Massachusetts, including 2,871 women veterans. Over 75% of Northeast Mass veterans are under age 65. If you serve veterans and are trying to learn more about their demographics, explore the most recent ACS 5-year estimates from Census Reporter for cities and towns in Northeast Mass below.
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Age by gender and veteran status, service era, service-connected disability, veteran status by educational attainment, age by veteran status and employment, median income by gender and veteran status, and sex by age by employment status with armed forces are available at the city and town level with 5-year estimates (most reliable).
Age by disability by veteran and poverty status is available at the county level with 1-year estimates (most current).
Age by gender and veteran status with racial iterations is available at the city and town level with 5-year estimates: White alone, Black or African American alone, American Indian or Alaskan Native alone, Asian alone, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander alone, some other race alone, two or more races, White alone and not Hispanic or Latino, and Hispanic or Latino.
Age by gender and veteran status with racial iterations is available at the county level with 1-year estimates: White alone, Black or African American alone, American Indian or Alaskan Native alone, Asian alone, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander alone, some other race alone, two or more races, White alone and not Hispanic or Latino, and Hispanic or Latino.
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In October 2023, the US Census Bureau released the most recent 2022 data from the Annual Business Survey, which includes information at the state level on veteran-owned businesses within:
Company Summaries and Characteristics of Businesses tables by industry, sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status and Characteristics of Business Owners tables by Service-Disabled and Other Veteran Characteristics.
Module Business Characteristics tables by industry, sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status, including Effect of Coronavirus on Business Sales, Level of Operations During Coronavirus Pandemic, Level of Operations During Coronavirus Pandemic, and Outstanding Debt.
If you serve veterans and are trying to learn more about their demographics, you can explore the most recent ACS 5-year estimates from Census Reporter for cities and towns in Northeastern Massachusetts below.
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Information about veterans’ disability and poverty status is only available at the county level with 1-year estimates for 2022. Based on the county-level data for Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk County, there are 100,098 veterans in Northeastern Massachusetts, including 48,450 over age 65. Poverty and disability data is included for 83,516 veterans, including 48,450 over age 65.
Using the 1-year estimates for veterans with poverty and disability data available in Northeastern Massachusetts, around 6.8% had incomes below the poverty line (5,679 veterans), including 8.1% of veterans over age 65 (3,933 veterans).
Around 27.5% of veterans had a disability (23,013 veterans) with 76.8% of disabled veterans being over age 65 (17,663 veterans). Among disabled veterans, 13.7% experienced poverty (3,148 veterans), including 9.6% over age 65 (1,703 veterans).
Whether or not a veteran has time during a “wartime” service era determines whether a very low income veteran is potentially eligible for a VA Pension. Eligible veterans over age 65 may qualify for a VA pension whether or not they have a qualifying disability.
Based on the 2022 ACS 5-year estimates for the 54,413 veterans for which the period of service is available in the Northeast Region, around 84% of veterans served during wartime. Age, disability, and poverty data isn’t available, but some are over age 65 just based on their service area, including:
28% of wartime veterans with service in the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II eras; and
41% of peacetime veterans who are over age 65 with service prior to the Vietnam era.
Based on 2022 1-year ACS data, there are 23,013 veterans with a disability and 20,359 veterans with service-connected disabilities in the Northeast Region, of which at least 81% were receiving compensation benefits (16,050 veterans).
VA Spending in Northeast Mass
According to the GDX Report, VA spending in the Northeast Region increased from $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2021 to $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. The Northeast Region accounted for over 37% of VA’s total spending in Massachusetts and included:
$721.6 million on medical care for 27,544 unique patients in 2023 ($26,192 per patient), compared to $640.5 million for 31,015 unique patients in 2021 ($20,651 per patient);
$556.1 million in VA compensation and pension benefit payments in 2023, compared to $465.3 million in 2021; and
$92.6 million for education benefits and vocational rehabilitation and employment services, compared to $86.7 million in 2021.
The VA Annual Benefits Reports provide a breakdown at the state level for the compensation and pension. In Massachusetts during fiscal year 2022, there were a total of 69,565 veterans receiving $1.3 billion in compensation, an increase from 68,606 veterans receiving $1.2 billion in 2021.
Massachusetts wartime veterans’ access to VA pension continues to decrease over time. In 2022, there were 1,998 veterans receiving $25.2 million in pension benefits in the state, down from 2,241 veterans receiving $26.9 million in 2021, and from 3,937 veterans receiving $43.1 million in 2013.
Northeast Region Public Health Data
The U.S. Center for Disease Control’s Suicide Prevention Strategies for Communities support the implementation of a public health approach that uses data to drive decision-making. Massachusetts does not publish comprehensive or local data surrounding the deaths of service members and veterans. The chart below includes data for suicide deaths overall in the Northeast Region.