Chula Vista Vet Center
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, post traumatic 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 7:00 p.m.
- Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Sat. Closed
- Sun. Closed
![CVVC](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/3_2_medium_thumbnail/public/2021-07/CVVC.jpg)
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.
First time visitor? Stop by during our hours of operation and let's discuss how we can help.
Many of our services are available on a walk-in basis. There never is a waiting list for services.
Due to high demand for services, new clients are oriented to the Vet Center through weekly group orientation.
Please call
Non-traditional hours are available.
Free parking. We have a large well-lit parking area. Please feel free to park in any available space.
You do not need to be registered for care at VA, rated for a service connected disability, or receiving any other form of VA benefits. 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 show qualifying military service
Request your military service records online.
If you don’t have these documents on-hand, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and also answer any questions you might 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.
Group Offerings
- Interpersonal Trauma (MST)
- Relapse Management (AA)
- Relationship Communication (Warrior2Soulmate)
- Combat Veterans
- Yoga, Stand Up Paddleboard, Guitar, Art, Dance
- Suicide Postvention
- Mindful Walking
- Management Skills
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
Chula Vista Vet Center has Licensed Marriage and Family therapists who can provide services, including:
- Individual counseling for couples, spouses, children and significant others
- Spouse and Significant Other groups
- Couples counseling
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
Chula Vista Vet Center offers counseling and other support, such as:
- Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one during active duty
- Counseling for complicated grief reactions
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.
At Chula Vista Vet Center we offer individual and group counseling. We also provide referral to VA counseling resources and therapy resources in your community. Care at our center includes:
- Interpersonal and relational counseling for readjustment issues affecting Veterans, and their families
- Evidence-based therapies, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Skills-based treatments for mastery of readjustment symptoms
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.
Chula Vista Vet Center recognizes the devastating effects of military sexual trauma and is there as an expert ally and expert providing trauma-informed and trauma-focused care as part of your readjustment and recovery journey, and can be there as an advocate helping navigate systems of care and benefits.
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.
Chula Vista Vet Center offers treatment for posttraumatic stress and its effects on:
- Anger
- Sleep
- Coping
- Relationships
- Guilt
- Addiction
Chula Vista Vet Center also offers evidence-based therapies such as:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged exposure (PE)
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
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.
Referral services
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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.
Chula Vista Vet Center has specially trained therapists on staff to support your needs and can facilitate inpatient treatment if necessary.
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.
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
Chula Vista Vet Center can help you know where to go and how to register for
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- Where to go to file claims and other forms
- Understanding your VA education benefits
Chula Vista Vet Center can also connect you to Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) partners and to others who can help with the readjustment process.
Other services
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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.
How we’re different than a clinic
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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:
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The Veteran or service member died while serving on active duty, or
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The Veteran was using Vet Center services at the time of their death, or
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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.