VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System – University Drive Campus

University Drive A
Pittsburgh, PA 15240

About VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System – University Drive Campus

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System–University Drive Campus offers mental health and addiction recovery services for military personnel, veterans, and families in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including acute inpatient care, residential and ambulatory detox, medication assisted treatment (MAT) for clients in opioid recovery, and outpatient and aftercare programming. Dedicated services are available for adolescents, young adults, seniors, homeless and indigent persons, LGBTQ+ persons, persons with hearing impairment, and persons with co-occurring disorders.

Clients receive medical and mental health assessments, drug and alcohol screenings, personalized care planning, and complete case management. Levels of care and treatment modalities are tailored to clients’ unique recovery needs and goals.

Their inpatient programs are designed for clients who require high-level supervision, structure, and support, including those in early recovery or at an elevated relapse risk. Clients undergoing detox may be prescribed FDA-approved medications to ease withdrawal symptoms and prevent complications. Clients also engage in intensive individual, group, and family counseling and age-specific, recovery-focused life skills training addressing topics such as relapse prevention. Evidence-based complementary therapies, including experiential therapy, are available.

Their outpatient and aftercare services ensure a complete continuum of care and may include 12 step program facilitation, step-down support, and referrals for additional medical, mental health, and social services.

In addition to military insurance benefits, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System–University Drive Campus accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Humana, Magellan, Beacon, United Healthcare, and others. Out of network benefits can vary. Check with your provider to verify coverage.

Latest Reviews

Jesse Leubner
2 weeks ago on Google
5
HEROS ARE SERVED HERE. Hats off to all the folks here at the VA Pittsburgh. Offing the highest quality of service to those who have contributed the highest quality service! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING CARE OF MY WIFE!
Vivian Oaks
3 weeks ago on Google
5
I was involved in a weight-loss program through the VA, so had to make several trips to the Pittsburgh facility. It's a huge building with lots of free parking in the garage. Easily accessable if you follow maps or waze to direct you. Once inside, there's a big information desk to direct you where you need to go. Easy-peasy!
Curvy Rose
1 month ago on Google
5

Location

Accepted Insurance

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System – University Drive Campus works with several private insurance providers and also accepts private payments when possible, Please contact to verify your specific insurance provider.

Call now to check and verify your insurance

800-985-8516
Question iconWho Answers?

Other Forms of Payment

Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.

Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.

Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.

Addiction Treatments

Levels of Care

outpatient iconOutpatient
Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
inpatient iconInpatient
Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
heart-hands iconIntervention Services
Intervention services helps family or friends of addicts stage an intervention, which is a meeting in which loved ones share their concerns and attempt to get an addict into treatment. Professional intervention specialists can help loved ones organize, gather, and communicate with an addict. They can guide intervention participants in describing the damage the addict's behavior is causing and that outside help is necessary to address the addiction. The ideal outcome of an intervention is for the addict to go to rehab and get the help they need.
aftercare iconAftercare Support
Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
sober-living iconSober Living Homes
Sober Living Houses (SLHs), aka sober homes or halfway houses, are safe, substance-free, supportive living facilities for those recovering from substance abuse. Ideal for those who've just been through inpatient or outpatient treatment, SLHs are supervised environments with rules that support sobriety, such as curfews, shared chores, and therapeutic meetings. Residents are also often trained on life skills and coping skills to make it easier to transition into society. SLHs also provide a strong sense of community that can lead to the kind of deep and lasting connections with other sober individuals that supports a new, healthy lifestyle.

Treatments

Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.

Programs

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Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
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Seniors Program
Nearly one million adults age 65 and older live with a substance use disorder. Treatment providers who specialize in senior care understand the social, psychological, and physical effects of aging and how they relate to recovery. They can help clients address particular challenges and risks they may face as they get older such as overdosing and medication interactions and dependencies.
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Hearing Impaired Program
A sensory disability, such as hearing impairment, can compound the challenges of addiction recovery. Drug rehabs that are specially designed to accommodate the needs of persons with hearing impairments will include special accessibility features and accommodations to make treatment as comfortable and effective as possible. This may include access to American Sign Language interpreters.
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HIV/AIDS Program
HIV/AIDS programs support disease prevention and management in high-risk individuals in recovery. Individuals who engage in intravenous drug use and other addictive behaviors are at a higher risk of becoming infected with HIV. Rehab centers that specialize in treating this population typically have a high number of nurses, physicians, and psychiatrists on staff who can make sure both their medical and mental health needs are met.
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LGBTQ Program
Recovery is most successful when clients feel accepted and validated by their peers and treatment providers. Facilities that offer LGBTQ-inclusive programming are committed to creating a safe space where everyone can grow and recover without fear of judgment or discrimination. They will have dedicated policies in place to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters free expression.
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Military Program
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
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Program For Men
Men face specific challenges and concerns when seeking addiction treatment. Gender-specific recovery programs help them tackle these issues head-on in an environment that's focused, targeted, and distraction-free. It also gives them the opportunity to connect with and learn from other men who have been through a similar journey and can offer support for the next step.
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Program For Women
Rehabs for women provide a safe, nurturing space for female clients to heal. These treatment programs consider the specific obstacles that women can face during recovery and place a special emphasis on mental, social, physical, and reproductive health. They explore how each woman's experience has shaped the trajectory of their substance use, addressing issues such as sexual abuse and past trauma.
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Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.

Clinical Services

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.

Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.

Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.

Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.

Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.

In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a way of getting nicotine into the bloodstream without smoking. It uses products that supply low doses of nicotine to help people stop smoking. The goal of therapy is to cut down on cravings for nicotine and ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.

Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.

Amenities

  • home-setting iconResidential Setting
  • private iconPrivate Setting

Accreditations

The Joint Commission, formerly known as JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization that accredits rehab organizations and programs. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commision's mission is to improve the quality of patient care and demonstrating the quality of patient care.

Joint Commission Accreditation: Yes
Accreditation Number: 4507

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1992 by congress, SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on American's communities.

SAMHSA Listed: Yes

Contact Information

Phone icon (412) 822-2222
Building icon

University Drive A
Pittsburgh, PA 15240

Fact checked and written by:
Terri Beth Miller, PhD
Edited by:
Quentin Blount

Reviews of VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System – University Drive Campus

4.2/5 (352 reviews)
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Overall Experience
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Google Reviews

4.2 (352 reviews)
Jesse Leubner
2 weeks ago
5

HEROS ARE SERVED HERE. Hats off to all the folks here at the VA Pittsburgh. Offing the highest quality of service to those who have contributed the highest quality service! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING CARE OF MY WIFE!

Vivian Oaks
3 weeks ago
5

I was involved in a weight-loss program through the VA, so had to make several trips to the Pittsburgh facility. It's a huge building with lots of free parking in the garage. Easily accessable if you follow maps or waze to direct you. Once inside, there's a big information desk to direct you where you need to go. Easy-peasy!

Curvy Rose
1 month ago
5

Charly Althouse
1 month ago
5

I just moved out this way from Harrisburg three months ago. I have bronchitis, and came here at 530 am in soo much pain and coughing. The medical staff took awesome care of me and were some of the friendliest crew yet. Thank you for your care.

William Memento Mori Perry
1 month ago
5

Liver transplant 2022. A 4.2 rating seems asanine to me, but there are a lot of whiney Vets who served below average, were lucky to be generally discharged and want Presidential care while still wanting to only put in minimal effort. What is sad about it, is other vets read it and make the mistake of avoiding a valuable resource. I am back right now. Flown in on a life flight jet with a 4 member crew all dedicated to me. I was processed immediately and accepted with caring, privacy, empathy and real human concern. My liver is being rejected. It took less than 24 hours and I was airborne White River Junction, NH to Pittsburgh. Wife booked free on flight, wife put up free in a Luxury apartment hotel, wife issued a code for free lift and uber ride shares around the city as well as hotel to hospital no limits on use. All she needs to do is feed herself and if that becomes a problem there is free food available from a large kitchen in the hotel. Coffee, tea, soda, juice, ice, bread, peanut butter, jelly, fresh fruit, bagels, milk, cereal, mac n cheese, frozen foods, canned soups, sandwich meat, etc.. Staples that can help reduce stress and financial woes. Free laundry, cable, kitchen in suite, its amazing. All coordinator supervised. She has a problem she makes a phone call and its fixed. So a 4.2 rating is just some salty person who got caught scamming, is too lazy to help themselves or someone who thinks they are more important than they are. I am treated like a brother to these people. From housekeeping to surgeons. Like family. These people thank me for my service constantly. I MEAN IT WITH ALL MY SOUL, I respond, No, thank you for yours."

Lois Grabinski
1 month ago
5

Kevin Austin
2 months ago
4

I'm from Farrell pa and I travel to this facility for my health care needs and I'm always treated with respect. Thank you so helping me with my health care needs

Benjamin Gold
3 months ago
1

This Pittsburgh system is the worst,Every staff member even the new Monroeville clinic talk to you like your a dog, they are so rude and condescending. Being a veteran I wouldn't ever return or get treated here!Why are veterans treated worse than everyone else in this country, I so regret serving. But no one cares or it would change.And the call center people , my God shouldn't it be mandatory they speak correctly and not broken English, or ghetto. Wow U S A huh? Broken broken non caring hospital!

Donna Pauley
4 months ago
5

My husband has been going to the VA Hospital in Oakland, PA for months now along with visits to the Washington, PA office. We have had nothing but great care. There is not much of a wait for appointments and alot of times they make them for you. Both places are very well staffed....there is always someone there to help you. They are very respectful and courteous. Everything is very clean. He had chiropractic and pain management care along with tests and procedures. Everyone has been very efficient, friendly and our visits have flowed very well. A shout out to Dr. Barbado and Karen Coleman (Washington, PA), Kim Jacobs (Pain Management-Oakland, PA), Sherry Holland (Clinical Support Specialist for Alpha Stim unit), gentleman in the myhealth-e-vet office helping me sign up for it, Jeff and Fran (and blond woman) in Radiology department (Oakland, PA). It was a gamble...do we go for treatment through the VA or go to an orthopedic back doctor. My husband chose the VA...we are glad he made that choice!

Patrick Fetter
4 months ago
5

Sandra Devlin
4 months ago
3

Well.. it weren't for the hatefulness of one (Rn) there, my time as an inpatient at the va hospital would've been absolutely exceptional.

Raymond
5 months ago
1

The arrogant doctors ignore the problems you are having to chase and treat perceived nonexistent problems. They do not listen to you as a patient

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