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Washington, D.C. 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

1296 Upshur Street, Northwest
Washington, DC 20011

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. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Sat. Closed
  • Sun. Closed
Washington DC Vet Center

Other locations

Vet Centers are community based to be more accessible in areas where you live.

View more Washington, D.C. Vet Center locations

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

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  • First time visitor? Stop by during our office hours or give us a call and let's discuss how we can help.
  • Many of our services are available on a walk-in basis for Veterans and service members who are in crisis.
  • Please call to schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians.
  • Non-traditional hours are available upon request.

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.

  • The DC Vet Center is located in the Petworth neighborhood in Northwest Washington DC at the corner of 13th Street and Upshur Street. We are across the street from Theodore Roosevelt High School and next to an auto body shop and Ace Hardware.
  • The entrance to our parking lot is off 13th Street.
  • We have a large well lit parking area. Parking is free, accessible and includes space for wheelchair access. 
  • Once you park, go toward Upshur Street to the lobby entrance.
  • Plan your visit using the DC Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website.
  • The nearest DC Metro station is the Green Line and Yellow Line Georgia Avenue-Petworth station. There are also several bus routes that traverse Georgia Avenue and pass a few blocks away from the Vet Center. 
  • For accessibility options, please contact MetroAccess at .

In the spotlight at Washington, D.C. Vet Center

Counseling services

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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.

If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.

The Washington, D.C. Vet Center can offer counseling and other support, such as:

  • Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one while they were serving on active duty
  • Contact information to the Veterans Benefits Administration regarding possible burial and survivor 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.

At the Washington, D.C. Vet Center we offer individual, couples and group counseling. We also provide referral services to appropriate resources in our community.

Care at our center includes:

  • Counseling sessions to address your individual concerns and needs
  • Group counseling for OIF/OEF and Vietnam Veterans as well as Veterans from other service eras

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.

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.

Counseling services include:

  • Seeking Safety
  • Emotional regulation
  • PTSD Psychoeducation

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 understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be challenging. We offer a variety of ways to assist you in that process such as:

  • How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
  • Where to go to file VA claims and other forms
  • Understanding your VA education benefits

We can also connect you to Veterans Service Organizations in your community.

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.

The Washington, D.C. Vet Center will actively coordinate referrals for substance abuse counseling to both VA and community organizations.

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.

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?

They're benefits from any of these programs

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.