Title

Fairbanks Vet Center

Name of Vet Center
Fairbanks Vet Center
Operating status
Operating status
Normal services and hours
Top of page information
Page introduction
We offer confidential help for Veterans, service members, and their families at no cost in a non-medical setting. Our services include counseling for needs such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST). We can also connect you with more support in VA and your community.
Locations and contact information
Facility ID
vc_0511V
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Main location address

540 4th Avenue
Suite 100
Fairbanks, AK 99701
United States

Direct line
Hours
Mon: 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Tue: 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Wed: 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Thu: 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Fri: 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed
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Hours details

We also have non-traditional hours that change periodically given our community’s needs. Please call us to find out more.

Call center information

Our call center is available 24/7. Call us anytime at 877-927-8387.

Facility photo
The Fairbanks Veterans Center
Prepare for your visit
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Vet Center appointments

First time visitor? Give us a call and let's discuss how we can help. Call 907-456-4238 to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors. 

We understand that you may not know what to expect for your first counseling appointment with the Vet Center. On your first visit you can expect:

  • You will receive and be required to complete an intake packet which includes Vet Center Confidentiality,  demographic information, release of information (optional), and assessments as appropriate.
  • You will be evaluated to ensure that you and those around you are safe.
  • You and your counselor will begin to establish and develop a treatment plan that is appropriate to your needs.
  • Follow-up appointments will be scheduled as appropriate as determined by your counselor.
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What to bring for your appointment

You do not need to be registered for care at VA, rated for a service connected disability, or receiving any other form of VA benefits. On your first visit, we will look for one or more of the following:

  • Discharge documents (such as a DD214)
  • Receipt of certain awards
  • Deployment orders
  • Other documents that show qualifying military service

Request your military service records online.

If you don’t have these documents on-hand, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and also answer any questions you might have.

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Transportation services and schedule

The local Fairbanks MACS bus schedules can be heard by calling (907) 459-1011. The main bus line drop off and connection is 501 Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK. 

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Parking

The Fairbanks Vet Center has accessible parking directly in the front of the center for convenience. Free parking is also available across the street.

Services
Fairbanks Vet Center - Whole health
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Whole health puts you—instead of your illnesses or conditions—at the center of care. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals.

At the Fairbanks Vet Center, we work to bridge mental health care with every other aspect of Veteran's lives. You can expect your counselor to help you highlight the connection between mental health and various aspects of self care (e.g. food and drink, physical fitness, surroundings, spirit and soul, personal development, recharging, and relationships). 

Future group offerings may include:

  • Healthy U
  •  Veterans Support Group
  • Expressive Arts (First Friday Active Duty/Veteran art displays) 
  • Coffee Talk
  • Walking
  • Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing classes and day activities
Fairbanks Vet Center - Suicide prevention
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Call our Veterans Crisis Line at <a aria-label="9 8 8" href="tel:988">988</a> and press 1 to get support anytime day or night. This service is private, free, and available 24/7. Our Vet Center can also connect you with ongoing counseling and services.
Fairbanks Vet Center - Returning service member care
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If you’re returning from military service, we’ll help you transition to civilian life. We can connect you with educational and career counseling, mental health services, and other programs and benefits that will support your transition.
Fairbanks Vet Center - PTSD care
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If you have symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event, we can help. We offer assessment and support through private counseling and group therapy. We can also refer you to VA or community counseling for treatment and therapy resources.
Fairbanks Vet Center - Community engagement
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We provide private organizations and community agencies education on our Veteran community and military culture. Together, we build referral networks to expand support for Veterans, service members, and their families.
Fairbanks Vet Center - Military sexual trauma care
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If you experienced sexual assault or harassment during military service, we can help you get the counseling you need. Any Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, who experienced military sexual trauma is eligible to receive counseling. This applies to people of all genders from any service era.
Fairbanks Vet Center - Addiction and substance abuse care
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We can help you overcome substance use problems, from unhealthy alcohol use to life-threatening addiction. We'll connect you to services for your specific needs.

We offer evidence-based therapies and referrals (as needed) to support your goals.

Please call the Fairbanks Vet Center at 907-456-4238 for additional assistance.

Fairbanks Vet Center - Intimate partner violence support
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If you or a loved one are in—or may be in—a potentially abusive or violent relationship, we can help.

Whether you are experiencing or using intimate partner violence or are concerned about someone else, there are things you can do to enhance safety, emotional well-being, and physical well-being. For more information or assistance, contact our Vet Center.

Emergency assistance: National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800−799−7233 or TTY 800−787−3224.

Fairbanks Vet Center - Grief and bereavement counseling
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We’re here to support you if someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change.

Our Vet Center offers bereavement counseling to any family member who lost a loved one while serving on active duty. This includes members of the National Guard and Reserve Components. 

Fairbanks Vet Center - Couples and family counseling
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.

The Fairbanks Vet Center has clinicians who can provide services such as:

  • Individual counseling for couples, spouses, children and significant others
  • Couples counseling
Fairbanks Vet Center - Mental health care
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If you’re struggling with issues like PTSD, depression, grief, anger, or trauma, we offer counseling and other support. We’ll work with you to help you achieve your personal goals.

At the Fairbanks  Vet Center, we offer individual and group counseling. We also provide referral services to appropriate resources in our community

Care at our center includes:

  • One-on-one hour-long counseling sessions targeted at your individual needs
  • Group counseling for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, Vietnam Veterans; Spouse/Significant Others, and more

Evidence-based therapies such as:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)
  • Gottmann Method
Fairbanks Vet Center - Veteran connections
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We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.

How we're different than a clinic (FAQs)

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Vet Center faqs

How we’re different than a clinic

Section Intro
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Questions

What are Vet Centers?

Vet Centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in your community. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military.

Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet Centers you can form social connections, try new things, and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed.

Who is eligible to receive services at Vet Centers?

Vet Center services are available to you at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without you needing to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you’re a Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access our services if you:

  • Served on active military duty in any combat theater or area of hostility
  • Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era) 
  • Provided mortuary services or direct emergent medical care to treat the casualties of war while serving on active military duty
  • Performed as a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility
  • Accessed care at a Vet Center prior to January 2, 2013, as a Vietnam-Era Veteran
  • Served on active military duty in response to a national emergency or major disaster declared by the president, or under orders of the governor or chief executive of a state in response to a disaster or civil disorder in that state.
  • Are a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, regardless of the location.
  • Are a current member of the Reserve Components assigned to a military command in a drilling status, including active Reserves, who has a behavioral health condition or psychological trauma related to military service that adversely effects quality of life or adjustment to civilian life.

We encourage you to contact us, even if you’re unsure if you meet these criteria. If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who will.

Our services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so do we. We also offer bereavement services to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet Center services at the time of the Veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty.

Do I have to be enrolled in VA health care to access Vet Center services?

No. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA health care or have a service-connected disability.

What about my privacy?

Safe and confidential. Our records can’t be accessed by other VA offices, the DoD, military units, or other community networks and providers without your permission or unless required to avert a life-threatening situation. Here, you can be as open as you want—there’s absolutely no judgment.