St. Petersburg Vet Center
We work closely with the VAMC substance abuse program and will assist with the referral process for substance-related issues.
We have a licensed marriage and family therapist who can provide counseling for couples, spouses, children, and significant others for issues related to the Veteran’s readjustment needs. We also provide community referrals for additional support if needed.
We've built a strong relationship with our community stakeholders and all the programs at the medical centers. We work closely with Veteran Service Officers who can assist with benefit claims.
We offer counseling and other support, such as:
- Bereavement or grief counseling for families who have lost a loved one during active duty
- Referrals to the local hospice community for groups and other services
We offer supportive readjustment counseling and many evidence-based therapies, such as:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged Exposure (PE)
- Seeking Safety
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Please discuss these therapies with your counselor to find the best approach for meeting your personal goals.
We provide Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), mindfulness skills, and referrals as needed.
We offer supportive readjustment counseling and many evidence-based therapies, such as:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged Exposure (PE)
- Seeking Safety
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Please discuss these therapies with your counselor to find the best approach for meeting your readjustment goals.
Our main goal is to assist you with your readjustment needs.
We work closely with Bay Pines VA Medical Center and other VA and community organizations to help Veterans and service members find information about benefits and resources available to them.
We can provide the following services:
- Warm hand-off to Veterans Benefits Administration for VA claims information
- Detailed information on how to apply for VA healthcare or a Veteran ID card
- Information on VA Home Loans
Learn how to apply for a Veteran ID Card on VA.gov
We can refer you to the VA Regional Office/Veterans Benefits Administration. You can call 800-827-1000 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. You can also visit a Veterans Service Office that is most convenient for your location.
Our team can connect you with VA Homeless Programs to get financial assistance for your housing needs.
Learn about VA's Grant and Per Diem Program
You may also call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for additional assistance and support.
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.