Pioneer Valley Area

As of 2022, there were an estimated 29,860 veterans living in the area, including around 2,538 women veterans. This page includes local events and directories of veterans’ services; veteran outreach centers; VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys; posts and auxiliaries; elder services; VA clinics; community behavioral health centers; peer recovery support centers; peer respites; and peer recovery meetings; as well as census data for area service members and veterans.

Tag any events you submit with #western-mass and #pioneer-valley so they show up here and on our Western Massachusetts page. 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 in the local listings below.

County pages for Western Massachusetts are in progress.

Massachusetts 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. 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 the Pioneer Valley

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.

Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center

The Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center of Massachusetts is located in Springfield and is open to all veterans. For more information or assistance, call (413) 731-0194.

VA-accredited Representatives, Agents & Attorneys

The directory below includes VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys based in Pioneer Valley area 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.

Veterans’ Posts & Auxiliaries in the Pioneer Valley

The Veterans Posts and Auxiliaries directories include information about the VFW and American Legion Posts, Marine Corps League Detachments, and DAV Chapters based in cities and towns in the Pioneer Valley area.

Posts

Auxiliaries

Elder Services in the Pioneer Valley

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.

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.

Housing Advisory Council

Established through Executive Orders filed in conjunction with the Affordable Homes Act, the Housing Advisory Council and Commission on Unlocking Housing Production is bringing together a broad range of stakeholders from across Massachusetts to advise the Healey-Driscoll administration on strategies to address the state’s housing challenges. Regional listening sessions were held between April–June 2024. If you missed them, you can still provide feedback.

 
 

VA Healthcare in the Pioneer Valley

Veterans living in the Pioneer Valley are served by the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System with the main campus in Northampton and a clinic in Springfield, along with the Springfield Vet Center located in the Pioneer Valley. 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 four centers located in the Pioneer Valley area 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.

Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line

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. Call or text (833) 773-2445 or chat online.

Peer Recovery Support Centers in the Pioneer Valley

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 support in their community. PRSCs are warm, welcoming spaces grounded in the values and principles of Recovery and Multiple Pathways, offering human connection, community inclusion, and peer support, as well as access to non-clinical resources.

Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline

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 connects people using drugs with trained operators who can call for help.

Western Mass Recovery Learning Community

The Wildflower Alliance is home to the Recovery Learning Community in Western Mass, a peer-run network of self help/peer support, information and referral, advocacy, and training activities. There are open hours at the Bowen Center in Springfield on Tuesdays–Saturdays and at the Holyoke Center on Mondays–Thursdays. Check the calendar for more information and current listings.

Peer Support Line

Wildflower Alliance’s Peer Support Line is a line that you can call to get support, ask about resources, connect with another person who can relate or has “been there,” or just talk. Peer Support is available Monday–Thursday from 7–9pm and Friday–Sunday from 7–10pm at (888) 407-4515.

Peer Respite

The Afiya House in Northampton was the first peer respite in Massachusetts. Those seeking respite can stay up to seven nights, coming and going as they please, with peer support available 24/7. Afiya is a regular three-bedroom house with private bedrooms that lock from the inside.

  • Request to stay at Afiya by calling (413) 570-2990.

  • Transportation is available from most places in Western Massachusetts.

  • Stays are open to any adults with an address in Central or Western Massachusetts.

Peer respites provide an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for people experiencing deep emotional and/or mental distress. There are only a few dozen in the country offering an alternative to/supporting people to avoid psychiatric hospitalization and other more invasive/disruptive interventions.

12-Step Recovery Meetings in the Pioneer Valley

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.

Pioneer Valley Service Members & Veterans

Based on the 2022 ACS 5-year estimates, veterans make up almost 16 percent of the population in the Pioneer Valley. There are 29,860 veterans and 854 service members.

  • 74.7 percent of veterans have wartime service.

  • 53 percent of veterans are over 65, including 20.5 percent of women veterans.

  • 8.5 percent of veterans and 24.7 percent of service members are women.

  • 23.1 percent of veterans have a disability, of which 9.6 percent fell below the poverty line.

  • 4.9 percent of veterans fell below the poverty line, of which 47 percent had a disability.

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 the Pioneer Valley at the links below: