Pensacola Vet Center
![Small group of diverse Veterans talking and smiling with a Vet center counselor, American flag in the background.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/vet-centers/vet-center-banner.jpg)
We offer confidential help for Veterans, service members, and their families at no cost in a non-medical setting. Our services include counseling for needs such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST). We can also connect you with more support in VA and your community.
Locations and contact information
Main Location
Direct line
Hours
- Mon. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Tue. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wed. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Thu. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Sat. Closed
- Sun. Closed
![Picture of front of Pensacola Vet Center with flagpole and entrance](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/3_2_medium_thumbnail/public/2023-10/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%2823%29.png)
Other locations
Vet Centers are community based to be more accessible in areas where you live.
We also have non-traditional hours that change periodically given our community’s needs. Please call us to find out more.
Need help after hours?
Our call center is available 24/7. Call us anytime at 877-927-8387.
Prepare for your visit
Select a topic to learn more.
Please call 850-456-5886 to speak with a staff member. They can assist you with scheduling an appointment, answering any questions you may have, or providing an appropriate referral.
Same-day services are available. Simply drop by during regular business hours, and the next available staff member will see you.
Non-traditional hours are available by appointment. Please call us so we can meet your needs.
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) provides public transit in Pensacola.
We're located a block behind Pete Moore Chevy on Warrington Road, which is closest to routes 57, 59A, and 59X.
There's parking along the front and rear of the building, as well as along one side. Feel free to park in any available spot. Accessible parking is located at the main entrance, which is the pair of doors to the left as you face the front of the building.
You don't need to be registered for care at VA, rated for a service-connected disability, or receiving any form of VA benefits to receive care at the Vet Center. On your first visit, we will look for one or more of the following:
- Discharge documents (such as a DD214)
- Receipt of certain awards
- Deployment orders
- Other documents that may show qualifying military service
Request your military service records online
If you don't have any of these documents on hand, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and also answer any questions you may have.
In the spotlight
New Vet Centers and Satellite Locations Announced
To improve access to counseling, we are adding three Vet Centers and six satellite locations across the US and its territories. We will continue to expand our program to meet Veteran demand and provide local support to those who served.
Participate in Guitars 4 Vets
We've partnered with Guitars 4 Vets. In this program, Veterans with PTSD-related symptoms learn to play guitar to help recover, grow, and thrive.
For more information, please call us at 850-456-5886.
Get PTSD resources
The National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) is your go-to source for information on PTSD assessment, treatment, and resources. You can find basic facts as well as professional research and literature.
Counseling services
Select a topic to learn more.
We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
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.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
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
If you’re struggling with issues like PTSD, depression, grief, anger, or trauma, we offer counseling and other support. We’ll work with you to help you achieve your personal goals.
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)
If you experienced sexual assault or harassment during military service, we can help you get the counseling you need. Any Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, who experienced military sexual trauma is eligible to receive counseling. This applies to people of all genders from any service era.
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.
If you have symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event, we can help. We offer assessment and support through private counseling and group therapy. We can also refer you to VA or community counseling for treatment and therapy resources.
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)
If you’re returning from military service, we’ll help you transition to civilian life. We can connect you with educational and career counseling, mental health services, and other programs and benefits that will support your transition.
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
Referral services
Select a topic to learn more.
We can help you overcome substance use problems, from unhealthy alcohol use to life-threatening addiction. We'll connect you to services for your specific needs.
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.
Call our Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1 to get support anytime day or night. This service is private, free, and available 24/7. Our Vet Center can also connect you with ongoing counseling and services.
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
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
Some of our established partnerships include the following:
Other services
Select a topic to learn more.
We provide private organizations and community agencies education on our Veteran community and military culture. Together, we build referral networks to expand support for Veterans, service members, and their families.
For example, we have established relationships with:
How we’re different than a clinic
Select a topic to learn more.
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.
You may be eligible for Vet Center services no matter your discharge status or eligibility for VA health care. And we encourage you to contact us, even if you’re not sure if you’re eligible. If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can.
If you’re a Veteran or service member (including National Guard and Reserves), you’re eligible if you meet any of these service requirements:
- You served on active duty in any combat theater or area of hostility, or
- You provided mortuary services or direct emergency medical care to treat the casualties of war while on active duty, or
- You were a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility, or
- You served on active 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, or
- You’re a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, or
- You’re a current member of the Reserve Component assigned to a military command in a drill status, including active Reserves, and you need to address a behavioral health condition or psychological trauma that is related to your military service
If you’re a Veteran or service member (including National Guard and Reserves), you’re also eligible for Vet Center services if any of these descriptions is true for you:
- You’re a Vietnam Era Veteran who used Vet Center services before January 2, 2013, or
- You experienced military sexual trauma (no matter your gender or service era), or
- You currently use any covered VA educational assistance benefits
What are the covered educational assistance benefits?
- Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty
- Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
- Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)
Remember: You don’t need to be enrolled in VA health care to be eligible for Vet Center services. You don’t need to have a service-connected disability. And you can have any character of discharge.
You can use our counseling and other support services when your participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or service member in your family. If the Veteran or service member considers you family, so do we.
You can also use our bereavement services if any of these descriptions is true for your family:
-
The Veteran or service member died while serving on active duty, or
-
The Veteran was using Vet Center services at the time of their death, or
-
The Veteran or service member died by suicide
No. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA health care or have a service-connected disability.
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.