Scranton Vet Center
We offer group and individual counseling evidence-based practices such as
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDMR)
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
- Supportive therapy
Our Vet Center offers a variety of group counseling sessions at our main office as well as many of our community access points. Our groups include:
- Drug and alcohol groups
- Specific theater groups
- PTSD groups
- Social groups
Our Vet Center has counselors who specialize in PTSD counseling and we host PTSD group counseling sessions at our main Vet Center as well as several of our community access points.
We offer individual and group therapy sessions. We have skilled male and female counselors on staff to meet your needs.
Our services are 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.
Our center has a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) on staff.
We understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be a challenge. We offer a variety of ways to assist you in that process such as:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- Where to go to file claims and other forms
- Understanding your VA education benefits
- Housing and home loans
- Education and referral for VA burial benefits
We can also connect you to Veterans Service Organizations in your community.
The Scranton Vet Center's team can connect you with VA’s HUD-VASH Program, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, and many other community resources and partners.
We also offer bereavement services to family members of Veterans who are receiving Vet Center services at the time of the Veteran’s death and to families of service members who died while serving on active duty.
We work with numerous community providers and stakeholders including: Together4Vets, Camp Freedom, Patriots Cove, Vet Courts, PA Link, and various drug and alcohol treatment providers along with other community and VA resources.
We have recently entered into a partnership with State Correctional Institution (SCI) Dallas to provide groups to the Veteran employees.
We’re on numerous outreach committees within VA with the goal of networking and providing outreach in the 12 counties we serve in Northeast Pennsylvania. We’re continually exploring new Community Access Points (CAP) and making new connections in the rural communities we serve.
We can facilitate referrals to Wilkes-Barre VA medical center or agencies in our community.
Scranton Vet Center personnel work closely with County Directors and VSOs within the DAV, VFW, and American Legion to answer questions 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.
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.