Vet 2 Vet is a program for veterans who have a mental illness or substance abuse problem. It is considered to be a mutual support meeting, instead of a peer support group or a self-help group. It is a sharing of resources, education and experiences.

The Vet 2 Vet value statement:

"All people who attend peer support meetings here have something to teach and share as well as something to learn from." While many support groups consider themselves to be self-help groups, Vet 2 Vet considers its meetings to be mutual support meetings. The Vet 2 Vet manual states: "Replacing the term "self-help" with “mutual help" gives definition and direction to the reality that we ae learning, living and improving through sharing our strength, hope and knowledge TOGETHER."

Vet to Vet strongly supports both Prevention and Intervention in the facilitators manual. Prevention is much more than symptom reduction, and includes building a proactive recovery where lives are improved to a point where symptoms and triggers are less likely to occur.

Intervention is support; a lot of natural support in addition to paid support. It includes developing friendships, so you are not alone when a trigger or a crisis occurs, and having them around or available when times are rough.

Vet 2 Vet also encourages sleep, good quality sleep so people can enjoy better lives.

Vet 2 Vet has a strong, educational basis. There are recommended resources on recovery. Something educational is read at each meeting. Then, what was read is discussed. Everyone has the opportunity to enter into the discussion and share their thoughts and reactions (see above value statement).

There is a 300 page manual (called the Vet to Vet Book) that supports and defines the Vet 2 Vet Mutual Support Meetings and Program.

In the Vet to Vet Book are:

•  The facilitator’s manual (in both English & Spanish).

• The Recovery Workbook (in both English & Spanish by Leroy Spaniol, Martin Koehler, & Dori Hutchison;Reduced Version by Moe Armstrong).

• Supported Employment Working LIfe (by Debbie Becker & Bob Drake; Condensed by Moe Armstrong).

• A Mental Illness Anonymous (MIA) Manual (in both English & Spanish).

• Along with other information.

Supported Employment is based on an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Model.  It is a Place/Train model. This means that a person is placed in employment that they want. Then they are trained to help them stay in that employment. In the mental health system many of the employment programs seem to be The Train/Place Model. 

Mental Illness Anonymous (MIA) is a 12 step program.

From Part 2 of the MIA Manual:

Mental Illness Anonymous (MIA) works with each person through education and knowledge. We learn from each other.  We also learn from professionals. We also learn from respected and recognized educational materials about mental illness and/or abuse.

There is a great deal of information that is being written about mental illness and abusive behavior. We no longer have to live in ignorance.

In 2002 Vet 2 Vet was born in West Haven, Connecticut at Errera Community Care System (ECCC ), part of the VA Mental Health Care System. Moe Armstrong is a Peer Support Specialist, a Vietnam Veteran, a popular service provider and NAMI Board Member.

In creating Vet 2 Vet, Moe worked with Dr. Robert Rosenheck, Yale School of Medicine, Professor of Psychiatry and Epidemiology and VA Public Health Director, Division of Mental Health Services and Outcomes Research Northeast Program Evaluation Center. In that position he published papers demonstrating the value of receiving peer support.