Savannah Vet Center
Unhealthy substance use often goes hand-in-hand with PTSD, depression, or stress. We can help you understand how problematic drinking or drug use might be in relation to other stressors in your life. We'll help support you with relapse intervention and prevention, while also helping to connect you with more intensive or comprehensive substance use treatment programs within VA or in our community, if needed.
We are happy to meet with you and your family members based on your needs. The counselors at our facility use various methods of treatment when it comes to couples or family sessions.
We encourage our Veterans and service members to address any personal concerns through individual therapy that can coincide with family therapy; this can help with getting the most value out of your sessions. During individual therapy, the counselors can offer opportunities for your partner or other family members to join in the session, once or twice. This can provide an opportunity for your family members to learn more about your needs and ways to best support you during your treatment.
We here at the Savannah Vet Center are committed to functioning as a focal point where Veterans and community partners can connect and engage. We actively partner with:
- Team Savannah for Veterans
- SD Gunner Fund
- American Corporate Partners (ACP)
- Soldiers Closet
- Provisions For Patriots
- Veterans Council of Chatham County
We also work with the surrounding military bases such as Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Our networks also extend out to the First Responder departments within the greater Savannah area.
Please call 912-961-5800 if you or your organization is interested in learning more about ways to partner with us.
We also offer bereavement counseling to Gold Star family members. We also respond to referrals from the Tragedy Assistance Program for survivors (TAPS) to provide support to family members affected by the loss of a service member and/or Veteran. To learn more about their missions, please visit Mission of TAPS.
Our staff is a diverse group, both male and female, with many of the staff being Veterans themselves, or having vast knowledge and/or experience working with Veterans, service members, and military communities. Our counselors are licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed masters social workers (LMSW), and licensed professional counselors (LPC).
We commonly address the following concerns:
- Difficulties adjusting to civilian life following deployment or activation
- Concerns of lack of meaning or purpose
- Unhealthy use of drugs and/or alcohol
- Anxiety and stress reactions
- Depression and lack of motivation
- Helping to address and cope with moral injury
- Sleep difficulties
- Anger, aggressive behavior, as well as reckless behaviors
Here are some of the evidence-based treatments we offer:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Military sexual trauma (MST) can continue to affect survivors long after the experience. It can also impact different traumas that may have occurred during your lifetime. Our counselors have ways to help you cope with MST and empower you to not only survive but to thrive.
We recognize that asking for help takes courage; we pride ourselves on being able to offer a safe space to our Veterans and service members.
If you’re feeling on edge and on guard, having trouble sleeping, experiencing a loss in motivation, a decrease in mood, or just not feeling like yourself following a major event or critical incident, we can teach you tools to manage these changes and help get you back on track. Our counselors are here to help you take that next step.
Learn more about PTSD and your treatment options.
We recognize completing your military service can come with a variety of new challenges. Navigating the VA system along with other benefits you may be entitled to can be extremely overwhelming. We can be the bridge to get you connected with the following services:
- Enrollment in VA health care benefits
- Filing a military-related disability claim
- Connection to employment opportunities
- Using VA education benefits
- Using your VA home loan
- Connecting to state benefits and services
There are many other opportunities that may be available. If you have any questions call 912-961-5800.
Our priority first and foremost is your safety. If you feel hopeless, suicidal, or are in crisis, let your counselor know so we can work together to both support you through the moment as well as create a safety plan with you to feel safer and more hopeful about the future. Should you need the Veterans Crisis Line, in addition to calling them, you can also reach them via confidential chat at Veterans Crisis Line or text 838255.
We understand that searching for resources can be challenging. Let us help you navigate through and connect with:
- How to activate VA medical benefits and enroll in care
- Where to file disability claims and other VA related forms
- How to make the most of your VA education benefits
- How to use your VA home loan
- How to access VA burial benefits
We can also assist in connecting you with a local Veteran Service Officer (VSO). Call us at 912-961-5800 to find out more information.
We’re a leader in care for LGBTQ+ Veterans and service members. We can help connect you with specialty medical services and other support resources, as important additions to your mental health care.
Busy schedule? We get it! We have easy-to-use telehealth platforms that allow us to provide you with the same high-quality services virtually. Please let your assigned counselor know, and we'll accommodate you to the best of our ability. All you need is a smartphone (or similar device), internet connection, and a private location.
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.