VA Solid Start: The Phone Call You'll Get 90 Days After Separation

About 90 days after you separate, you'll get a phone call from the VA. The number will be unfamiliar. The conversation will start with your name and a self-introduction from a "VA Solid Start representative."

Take the call. It's one of the most underused resources for newly-separated veterans, and it can save you weeks of paperwork and confusion.

What Solid Start Is

Solid Start is a VA outreach program launched in 2019. Trained representatives call every newly-separated veteran three times in the first year:

• ~90 days after separation
• ~180 days after separation
• ~365 days after separation

The call lasts 15-30 minutes. Topics include:

• Benefits enrollment status (VA health care, education, disability)
• Open or pending claims
• Crisis support and mental health resources
• Local Vet Center information
• Connection to a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) for claims help
• Education on benefits you may have overlooked

Why People Skip It

The call comes from an unfamiliar number with a federal area code. It's not announced. Many veterans:

1. Let it go to voicemail. They assume it's a scam.
2. Hang up. The opening sounds like a sales pitch ("Hi, I'm calling from the VA...").
3. Block the number. They miss the second and third calls too.

This is unfortunate. The Solid Start representatives are trained, professional, and genuinely useful. They don't sell anything. They have access to your VA records and can answer specific questions about your claims, enrollment status, and resources.

What to Have Ready

If you know the call is coming, prepare:

• A list of questions. What benefits am I eligible for that I haven't applied for? What's the status of my pending claim? Where's my nearest Vet Center?
• Your basic info. Address, current phone, branch and dates of service.
• Notes on any current concerns. Mental health symptoms, unemployment, housing instability — they have referrals for all of these.

What They Can Help With

Claims Status

If you filed a VA disability claim before or shortly after separation, Solid Start can tell you:

• Where your claim is in the process (gathering evidence, decision pending, etc.)
• What the next step is and approximate timing
• Whether you need to provide additional information

Health Care Enrollment

If you haven't enrolled in VA health care yet, they can:

• Walk you through the application
• Connect you to the right Priority Group
• Identify the closest VA Medical Center
• Schedule your initial PACT visit (Patient-Aligned Care Team)

Mental Health Resources

This is where Solid Start often saves lives. They can:

• Screen for crisis indicators in conversation
• Make warm transfers to the Veterans Crisis Line
• Refer to Vet Centers for free counseling
• Connect with VAMC mental health intake

Education Benefits

• GI Bill (Chapter 33) status and eligibility
• Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) options
• Yellow Ribbon program access
• State-specific veterans education benefits

VSO Connections

If you don't yet have a Veterans Service Officer working your claims, Solid Start can refer you to an accredited VSO in your area (DAV, AmVets, VFW, etc.). VSO help is free.

What They Won't Do

• Make decisions on your claims
• Provide individualized financial or legal advice
• Replace your VSO or attorney
• Discuss classified service records

For decisions, advice, and detailed claim work, you still need your VSO or VA Regional Office point of contact. Solid Start is triage and connection.

What If You Missed the 90-Day Call?

You can still benefit. Two paths:

Path 1: Request the Call

Contact the VA Solid Start program at 1-800-698-2411 during business hours and request to speak with a representative. They'll either schedule a callback or do an immediate intake.

Path 2: Use the Other Outreach Channels

Solid Start is one of several VA outreach mechanisms. If you missed it, you can replicate the value through:

• Veterans Benefits Administration: VA.gov messaging for benefit-specific questions
• Vet Center: vetcenter.va.gov for mental health
• VSO (DAV, VFW, AmVets, etc.) for claims help
• Women Veterans Call Center: 1-855-829-6636 (despite the name, helpful for any veteran on women-specific or general questions)

Specific Topics to Raise

If you take the call, here are high-leverage topics:

"Is there a benefit I'm probably eligible for that I haven't applied for?"

Common gaps Solid Start surfaces:

• VA health care enrollment (many separated veterans assume they can't qualify)
• Spousal life insurance conversion (FSGLI)
• VR&E eligibility for SC veterans
• VA pension eligibility for low-income wartime veterans
• State-specific veterans benefits

"What's the actual status of my pending claim?"

If you filed before separation, the claim went into a queue. Solid Start can tell you the queue position and next-step needs.

"Where can I get free mental health support today?"

Vet Center, COMPACT Act emergency mental health, VAMC same-day access programs, and the Crisis Line are all options. Solid Start can match the right one to your situation.

"How do I find a Vet Center?"

vetcenter.va.gov or call 1-877-927-8387. Solid Start can also do the warm referral.

The Three Calls Are Different

The three Solid Start calls have somewhat different focus areas:

• 90-day call: Initial check-in, benefits enrollment status, claims update, mental health screening
• 180-day call: Progress check, education benefits emphasis, employment and economic status
• 365-day call: First-year wrap-up, longer-term planning, connection to ongoing resources

If your situation changes between calls, you can also call Solid Start proactively at 1-800-698-2411.

Why It Matters

The first year post-separation is the highest-risk period for veterans. Mental health concerns, housing instability, and benefit underuse all peak in months 3-12. Solid Start's three-call schedule deliberately overlaps that window.

Veterans who engage with Solid Start are statistically more likely to:

• Be enrolled in VA health care within 6 months
• File and resolve disability claims faster
• Connect with mental health resources before crisis
• Use education benefits within the first 18 months

How to Save the Number

When you separate, save 1-800-698-2411 as "VA Solid Start" in your phone. When the call comes from an unfamiliar federal number 90 days later, you'll recognize the connection.

Better yet, save the WVCC (1-855-829-6636), Veterans Crisis Line (988), Vet Center (1-877-927-8387), and Solid Start numbers all at once. These are your VA quick-dial directory.

Related

• VA Health Care Priority Groups — what to enroll into
• WHTT Overview — comprehensive transition training
• Vet Center vs VA Medical Center — when to use each