Veterans Resources

Veterans Resources

Welcome! We at Harris County Public Library believe it is essential for us to acknowledge veterans and their families.  You volunteered to lay down your lives to preserve our way of life, and we strongly value your contributions through your military service.  HCPL desires to serve as an advocate for military personnel, veterans, and their families in Harris County and surrounding counties.

This forum provides organization-wide resources to assist and support active-duty military, veterans, and their dependents.   These resources will help guide you to information such as: how to apply for benefits, compensation, pension, medical, educational, careers, and insurance.  Our services are dedicated to getting you the information that is best suited for you and your family!

Need Help?Veterans Crisis Line

For confidential help, call the Veterans Crisis Hotline: 1(800) 273-8255 (Press 1) or Text 838255 available 24/7.  
For 24/7 confidential help, call 1(800) 273-8255 (Press 1) or Text 838255 

Quick Start Information

New to the VA and don't know where to start?

Visit VA Welcome Kit or call 1-800-MyVA411 and press 0 to speak to a live agent and get connected to the right VA experts.

Harris County Veterans Services Department

HCVSD provides assistance to veterans and their dependents regarding compensation, pension, medical, educational, insurance, and death benefits, as well as assisting veterans and their dependents in obtaining important documentation needed to apply for benefits.

Visit HarrisVets.com or call 281-876-6600.

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center of Houston

Visit Houston Veterans Administration or call 713-791-1414 for more information.

TEXVET.ORG

TexVet.org is the state clearinghouse for trusted information, resources, data, technical support, and research relevant to service members, veterans, and their families, and those who serve them

Visit TEXVET.ORG for Texas Veterans resources

Education

Veterans Education Resources

How to Apply for G.I. Bill Benefits

Find out how to apply for the GI Bill and other VA education benefits as a Veteran, service member, or qualified family member.

Texas Veterans Commision - Education Services

The Hazlewood Act is a State of Texas benefit that provides qualified Veterans and dependents with up to 150 hours of tuition exemption

Post 9/11 G.I. Bill

If you served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill to help pay for school or job training.

Montgomery G.I. Bill: Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) can help pay for education and training programs If you’ve served at least 2 years on active duty

Employment

Employment

Texas Veterans Commission

Provides resources to help military professionals transition to civilian jobs

NextOp

Nonprofit that helps veterans translate military training into civilian careers

Combined Arms

A network of Houston's top career development organizations

Workforce Solutions

Helps veterans and families enter or return to the workforce

Benefits

Benefits

VA Home Loans

VA Home Loan Information

VA eBenefits Hub

Comprehensive list of available veterans benefits and how to access them

VA DSLogin

Set up or log on to your DSLogin account. DSLogin is needed to access many VA and DFAS sites

VA MyHealthVet

Sign up or log in to you your account to access & manage VA healthcare

Transition & Support

Transition & Support

Disabled American Veterans

Connects veterans with healthcare, disability, employment, education, and financial benefits

PTSD Foundation of America

Provides hope and healing for the unseen wounds of war

Lone Star Legal Aid

Provides free civil legal services to low-income veterans, dependents, and surviving spouses

Horizon Outreach

Provides programming that stabilize the family unit through healthy relationship education and job readiness training

Spouses, Families & Dependents

Military Benefits

List of jobs, portable careers, and income opportunities for military spouses

TexVet - Veteran Spouse Network

A statewide network for veteran spouses

Military Spouse Employment Partnership

Connecs military spouses with partner employers

CareerOneStop

A resource for career exploration, training, and jobs for military spouses

ReadyKidsSA

Resources for military and veteran families across multiple sectors

Sesame Street for Military Families

Advice and tips on self-expression, positive parenting, and common concerns

Military Benefits

Helping families with childcare including referrals, tools, and resources nationwide

KinderCare Learning Centers

Offering benefits for eligible military and federal families

MilitaryColleges.com

List of colleges for veterans and dependents

Operation Military Kids

Discounts for services including home improvement, travel, and more

Finaid

Financial aid guide for veterans and their dependents

Harris County Veteran Services

Financial assistance for the veterans and their dependents

Mental Health

Mental Health

PTSD Foundation of America

PTSD Foundation of America provided hope and healing for the unseen wounds of war

One Tribe Foundationss

One Tribe Foundation helps combat suicide and support all of our nation's bravest through clinical programs and non-traditional therapies

National Veterans Foundation

The lifeline for vets serves the crisis management, information, and referral needs of all U.S. veterans and their families

TexVet

Mental health resources for veterans

Homelessness

Homelessness

TexVet - Houston Domiciliary Care for Homeless Vets

Provides medical care and rehabilitation services in a residential and therapeutic setting to eligible ambulatory veterans

Coalition for the Homeless

Resources for individuals experiencing homelessness

Harris County Community Services Department

Focused on addressing the housing, infrastructure and public service needs of the low to moderate-income community in Harris County.

TexVet - Houston Health Care for Homeless Veterans

A hub for outreach services to assist homeless veterans

Related Resources & Content

Active Duty Military Library Cards

Military Library Card

If you are active duty military personnel, you can get eBooks, stream video and music and do online research wherever you are stationed.

CAC Readers @ HCPL - FAQ

  • Military service members may use the CAC reader on the public computers in the library or on their personal laptops. Be advised that, due to the library’s firewall, some websites cannot be accessed on the public computers even with a CAC reader. Therefore, military members are advised to bring their personal laptops if they have them and use our free WiFi. Personal laptops with older versions of Windows such as XP, Vista, and older, must have ActivClient software installed. It can be downloaded for free at http://militarycac.com/ or, for MAC users, go to http://militarycac.com/lion.htm. The CAC reader is compatible with Windows 7 and 8 without ActivClient software. 

  • No, but many do, and they are located throughout the county. The branches listed below have CAC readers: 

    • Aldine Branch Library 
    • Atascocita Branch Library 
    • Barbara Bush Branch Library 
    • Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library 
    • Crosby Branch Library 
    • Fairbanks Branch Library 
    • High Meadows Branch Library 
    • Jacinto City Branch Library 
    • Katy Branch Library 
    • Kingwood Branch Library 
    • La Porte Branch Library 
    • Lone Star College - CyFair Branch Library 
    • Lone Star College - Tomball Community Library 
    • North Channel Branch Library 
    • Northwest Branch Library 
    • South Houston Branch Library 
    • Spring Branch Memorial Library 
    • Stratford Branch Library (Highlands TX) 
  • Common Access Card reader or CAC reader for military personnel enables active duty and reserve military to conduct online military business locally instead of having to travel to a military base/facility. With a CAC reader, a service member can access websites to do online training, check military email, create orders and travel vouchers, apply for billets, access unit sharepoint sites, and more. 

  • The CAC reader checks out for two hours. Loan period may be extended if no one else has requested it. 

  • You may use the CAC Reader if you have a current Department of Defense issued military ID AND you are 

    • a library cardholder with Harris County Public Library or Lone Star College 
    • do not have blocks on your HCPL library card account 
  • A common access card is a smart card and is the standard identification for Active Duty United States Defense personnel, to include the Selected Reserve and National Guard, United States Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees, United States Coast Guard (USCG) civilian employees and eligible DoD and USCG contractor personnel. It is also the principal card used to enable physical access to buildings and controlled spaces, and it provides access to defense computer networks and systems. 

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