If the nearest Vet Center is far away
You can still be seen. You do not have to drive to an office to start.
Call the Vet Center Call Center
It answers 24 hours a day, every day. Ask them to connect you with the Vet Center for your area and to set up counseling by phone or by video. They can also answer eligibility questions on the spot.
Counseling by phone and video
Vet Centers offer telehealth counseling. For many people a long distance is the reason they never start, so it is worth saying plainly: the first conversation can happen from your kitchen table. Ask the Vet Center what they offer — availability varies by center and by counselor.
Mobile Vet Centers
VA operates Mobile Vet Centers: vehicles that travel to outreach events, rural areas, and communities after a disaster. They carry counselors and private space for a conversation.
Their schedules depend on outreach assignments and VA does not publish them, so there is no calendar we can show you. What works is calling the Vet Center that operates the vehicle and asking where it will be next. Every Mobile Vet Center listing on this site shows that number.
Community access points
Many Vet Centers staff satellite sites — inside township buildings, colleges, Legion posts and community organizations — specifically to be closer to people who live far from the main office. Most are staffed only on certain days and see people by appointment, and many do not publish hours.
If a satellite site near you shows no hours, call the main Vet Center and ask which days a counselor is there, and whether you need an appointment.
If you are in crisis
Do not wait for an appointment. Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then Press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Free and confidential, 24/7, and you do not need to be enrolled in VA.
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