Pensacola Vet Center
We offer evidence-based group and individual treatment for addictions and substance use issues.
We use a SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) approach as the focal point of substance use treatment.
And we maintain an active relationship with Vet Courts in Baldwin County, Alabama; Escambia, Florida; and Santa Rosa County, Florida. We respond to court referrals in support of Veterans' efforts at recovery.
Our counselors take an individualized approach. We meet with individual couples and families. We also conduct groups to support the spouses of Veterans.
We establish clear lines of communication and emotional expression to facilitate development, growth, and sustainability of healthy relationships.
For example, we have established relationships with:
We offer:
- Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one while they were serving on active duty
- Grief counseling
- Contact information to the Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration regarding possible burial and survival benefits
Care at our center includes:
- Individualized one-on-one counseling sessions 30 to 60 minutes long
- Group counseling for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, and spouses
Evidence-based therapies such as:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
We recognize the impact of sexual assault or harassment during military service. We take a sensitive and individualized, evidence-based approach to help survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) grow and recover.
We provide individual and group-based counseling for PTSD, focusing on a whole health approach to recovery and growth.
Learn more about whole health at VA
Group-based counseling includes:
- Cohort-based groups (Vietnam, OIF-OEF, Desert Storm)
- Movement-based (e.g. Tai Chi)
- Recreation-based (e.g. PGA Hope)
Evidence-based individual counseling:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
We can help you navigate and connect with services related to:
- Enrollment in VA health care
- Filing a military-related disability claim, including connecting with a Veteran Service Officer (VSO)
- Connecting with potential employment services
- Accessing VA financial benefits, including education and home loan benefits
- Learning about and accessing state-level Veteran's benefits
Your safety comes first and foremost. We stand ready to support you as you recover, grow, and overcome the challenges you face. Please reach out to us. There's no need to feel alone if you're struggling.
Get help from the Veterans Crisis Line
- Text 838255
- Chat online
Some of our established partnerships include the following:
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.
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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.