Improving Veteran Mental Health

Our Commitment

The Cigna Group Foundation is committing $9 million over three years to address the mental health of military veterans and the significant impact that social determinants of health have on the mental health of veterans. Specifically, in the first year of this commitment, we will focus on improving housing stability among veterans.

Our Why

Across the United States, veterans face an elevated risk of homelessness relative to the general population. On any given night, an estimated 40,000 veterans go without shelter, and another 1.5 million veterans are considered at-risk of homelessness.¹ Research shows that veterans experiencing housing instability are at an increased risk of mental distress disorders.²

Our Call for Action

We seek to collaborate with and support nonprofit organizations that leverage evidence-informed programs and services to help local veterans feel stable where they live and ultimately create positive impact on their mental health. This includes underserved populations such as women, Hispanic, and Black veterans.

For the first year, we are focused on investing in approaches that may leverage the Housing First model, but that is not required. We look forward to partnering with nonprofit organizations that align to at least one of these grant program goals:

• Increase permanent housing available for veterans.
• Improve affordability for housing for veterans through rental or mortgage assistance.
• Enhance the offering of wraparound services for veterans transitioning from shelters.