Great Falls Vet Center
Care at the Great Falls Vet Center includes individual and group counseling, including
Veterans Support Group
- What: A larger group of Veterans who provide mutual social support on a variety of issues such as navigating Veterans benefits, health care issues, and PTSD support.
- When: Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m.
PTSD Recovery Group
- What: This group will help you learn skills to regain control of your life, manage your reactions and responses, and live a meaningful life.
- When: Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group
- What: A closed 10-week course/group with designed to teach people how to live in the moment, cope healthily with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships with others. Call to reserve a spot in the next course/group.
- When: Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m.
Veteran Skills Group
- What: A larger group of Veterans who provide mutual social support and skills for addressing a variety of issues such as navigating Veterans benefits, health care issues, PTSD support, etc.
- When: Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
The Great Falls Vet Center offers
Whole Health Warrior Fitness Group
- Date: Every Wednesday and Friday, Time: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- Location: Gibson Park Duck Pond, River's Edge Trail, Great Falls
- Description: We will alternate cardio and strength days and work on the other aspects of mental fitness during these 1-hour sessions. We will meet at 8:00 a.m. for PT. This is a limited space group that will alternate individuals on a monthly basis. Limited to 8 Individuals. Please sign up at the front desk.
Whole Health Group
- Date: Every Friday at 11:00 a.m.
- Location: Great Falls Vet Center Conference Room
- Description: Whole Health is VA’s cutting-edge approach to care that supports your health and well-being. Whole Health centers around what matters to you, not what is the matter with you. This means your health team will get to know you as a person, before working with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals. This includes things like personal development, mediation, movement, building relationships and exploring complimentary alternative therapies. By focusing on the bigger picture and putting Veterans in the driver’s seat, we are able to achieve better overall health outcomes.
The Great Falls Vet Center offers individual and group services to eligible service members, Veterans, and their family members. Psychological assessments of individuals, families, crisis intervention and referral are also available.
Care at the Great Falls Vet Center includes:
Veterans Support Group
- What: A larger group of Veterans who provide mutual social support on a variety of issues such as navigating Veterans benefits, health care issues, and PTSD support.
- When: Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m.
DBT Support Group
- What: A closed 10-week course/group with designed to teach people how to live in the moment, cope healthily with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships with others. Call to reserve a spot in the next course/group.
- When: Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m.
Veteran Support Group 2
- What: A larger group of Veterans who provide mutual social support and skills for addressing a variety of issues such as navigating Veterans benefits, health care issues, PTSD support, etc.
- When: Friday at 3:00 p.m.
The Great Falls Vet Center offers a Women Veteran's Support Group. This group will focus on women's issues, teach therapeutic skills and provide a safe space to share. The group is open to all eligible female Veterans. this group occurs the 2nd Monday of each month at 2:00pm.
The Great Falls Vet Center offers several workshops and classes.
Creative Writing - This group will provide a creative outlet for Veterans to include poetry, prose writing, and providing a creative outlet for Veterans to address issues like PTSD, loss, and addiction.
Identity Theft Prevention and Credit Protection Class - This class is designed to inform Veterans of ways to protect their identity and secure their credit in this technologically advanced age with all the associated risks that go with it.
Technology for Beginners - This group is designed to help Veterans utilize various forms of technology to better themselves, prepare for school, or prepare for the job market. This class will also help Veterans navigate government websites that most veterans will need to utilize to access benefits and services. Veterans will need to provide their own computer, laptop, or device.
Veteran's Art Program - Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) has started a Veteran’s Arts Program that will meet every other Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the museum and will be free for all participants. This program is open to any Veterans in Great Falls and surrounding areas. Instructors specializing in their trained media will lead classes each month, allowing participants to explore many different art mediums throughout. This program will be ongoing, but registration will only open two months at a time. All participants are required to register for each class by calling the museum or registering online. The Square and Great Falls Vet Center have partnered to provide local Veterans a space for healthy creative expression through multiple art making forms, for free.
For more information on these groups or to register for them please call 406-452-9048.
Military sexual trauma counseling may include individual or group counseling, marital and family counseling, referral for benefits assistance, liaison with community agencies or substance abuse information and referral to help you deal with the emotions of military sexual trauma and regain confidence in your everyday life.
MST Courage Group:
Closed group designed to work through trauma associate with MST and regain confidence in your everyday life. 2nd Monday of the month at 2:00pm
The Great Falls Vet Center provides eligible Veterans, and in some cases their family members, a variety of direct psychological services. We strongly encourage spouse/significant other involvement in Veteran counseling as a resource that cannot be overlooked. Families are strongly encouraged to participate in the healing process for Veterans.
At the Great Falls Vet Center, we offer
- Individual counseling to the Veteran and eligible dependents to address quality of life issues
- Couples and family counseling to help family members deal with problems associated with the Veteran’s readjustment issues
Seeking Safety Group
- Date: Every Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
- Location: Great Falls Vet Center Conference Room.
- Description: Seeking Safety is a relatively modern evidence-based treatment model that treats co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. There are 25 coping skills taught in Seeking Safety. Every skill applies to both trauma and addiction simultaneously. Some categories of skills include: Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Honesty, Compassion, Healing from Anger, and Recovery Thinking. The main aim of these skills is to help patients attain safety in their relationships, thinking, behavior, and emotions.
The Great Falls Vet Center offers counseling and other support, such as:
- Bereavement counseling for families after the death of an active duty service member
- Bereavement services for families and caregivers if they were in active receipt of VA mental health services at the time of the Veteran’s death which was unexpected or occurred while the Veteran was participating in a VA hospice program
- Community referrals for bereavement counseling
Great Falls Vet Center personnel are knowledgeable on a wide range of federal and state benefits for Veterans and their families, including guidance regarding VA Compensation and Pension claims, retirement benefits, and survivor benefits.
The Great Falls Vet Center is one of the founding members of the local Joining Community Forces organization. This organization brings service providers together with the goal of bridging gaps between services to improve services and care for service members, Veterans and their families.
The Great Falls Vet Center works closely with the VA HUD VASH, city HUD VASH, and other local organizations that help or work with the homeless or those on the verge of becoming homeless.
The Great Falls Vet Center offers the following
Veteran Movie Night
- Description: All Veterans & their Families are invited. Bring your love for movies and favorite snacks! This is a great way to build social structures and support in community.
- When: 2nd an 4th Friday of the month, 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Call to confirm as location may change.
Coffee and Donut Social Group
- Description: You bring your favorite donuts, and we will supply the coffee! A social group for Veterans and spouses who like doughnuts, coffee, and discussing daily topics and events.
- When: Fridays, 8:00am – 10:00am in the Great Falls Vet Center Lobby.
Monthly Vet Center Potluck and BBQ:
- Description: All Veterans & their Families are invited. Bring your favorite dish, eat & have fun! This is a great way to build social structures and support in community.
- When: First Saturdays of the month, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Call to confirm as location may change.
The Great Falls Vet Center has skilled counselors who are available to help Veterans who are in crisis or in need.
The Vet Center now provides virtual telehealth services through the VA Video App. Please call us for more information.
How we're different than a clinic (FAQs)
How we’re different than a clinic
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.