Cape Cod 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.
Our commitment
- We offer a range of services, from talk therapy to recreational activities. Our team will work with you to identify your goals and make a plan to meet them. We'll help you and your family build meaningful connections to improve your quality of life.
- Our counseling is confidential. We won’t share any information about you or the services you receive without your permission—except in a life-threatening situation. Our records can't be accessed by other VA offices, the Defense Department, military units, or community providers.
- We encourage you to contact us, even if you're not sure you're eligible. We'll find a way to connect you with the help you need.
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
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
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Are you a first time visitor to the Cape Cod Vet Center?
Please arrive 10 minutes early to complete paperwork and bring a copy of your DD214 with you to your first appointment.
If you have questions, call
If you have a scheduled appointment that you are unable to attend, please notify us as soon as possible so we can reschedule your appointment.
Cape Cod Vet Center is located along a public bus route operated by Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Please visit Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority's (RTA) website for bus routes and schedules.
You do not need to be registered for VA health care, or have a VA service-connected disability to participate in Vet Center services. On your first visit, we will look for one or more of the following:
- Discharge documents (such as a DD214)
- 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 answer any questions you might have.
The Cape Cod Vet Center is located at 474 West Main Street in Hyannis.
Look for the large Department of Veterans Affairs sign out front.
We have plenty of free parking in our lot in the front and side of our building.
Accessible parking is available.
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.
GUITARS 4 VETS
G4V puts the healing power of music in the hands of heroes by restoring feeling of joy and and purpose! Once the veteran completes 10 G4V sessions they will be given a guitar from the G4 Vets program here at at the Cape Cod Vet Center.
VERA appointments at the Cape Cod Vet Center
Please call the Cape Cod Vet Center at
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We are happy to meet together with you and your family members based upon needs. We have a licensed Marriage and Family Counselor who specializes in helping families function their best! We have a Partner Support Group for Partners and Caregivers of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
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.
We also specialize in working with the unique needs of first responders, female Veterans, and Veterans from all eras.
We commonly address the following concerns:
- Anxiety and stress reactions
- Depression and lack of motivation
- Sleep difficulties, including sleep problems caused by shift work
- Anger, aggressive behavior, and reckless behaviors
- Overuse of alcohol or drugs
- Difficulties adjusting to civilian life following a deployment or activation
Here are some of the evidence-based treatments we offer:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Present Centered Therapy
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 have a counselor who specializes in helping Veterans heal from MST.
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.
If you're feeling on edge and on guard, having trouble with sleep, motivation, or mood, or just feeling unlike yourself following a major event or critical incident, we can teach you tools to manage these problems and get back on track. Asking for help takes courage and we provide the private, comfortable setting with expert counselors to help you take that next step. Our counselors are specifically trained in helping individuals heal from trauma.
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 recognize that completing military service can come with a variety of new challenges. Navigating the VA system and other benefits alone can be overwhelming. We can provide education and connection for:
- Enrollment in VA healthcare benefits
- Filing a military-related disability claim
- Connection to employment opportunities
- Using VA Education Benefits
- Using your VA Home Loan
- Connecting to state benefits and services
If you’re a woman Veteran transitioning to civilian life, we can help you find counseling, support, and referral services to meet your specific needs.
We understand the unique experiences and needs of women Veterans. We'll strive to match you with a counselor who fits with your preferences and we can help you connect with the Providence VA Medical Center Women's Veteran Coordinator.
We also have resources for state and national women Veteran's programs, such as the Women Veterans Network (WoVeN).
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.
Unhealthy substance use often goes hand in hand with PTSD, depression, or stress. We can help you understand how problematic drinking, and drug use might be related to other stressors in your life and we can teach you how to take control over your substance use. We can also connect you to more intensive or comprehensive substance use treatment programs within VA or in our New England community, if needed.
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.
Our primary focus is your safety! If you feel hopeless, suicidal, or in need of crisis care, just let your counselor know so you can work together to help you feel safer and more optimistic about your future. Should you need the Veterans Crisis Line, in addition to calling them, you can also reach them via confidential chat at Veterans Crisis Line or text to 838255. Together we work to help you stay safe and improve your world.
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
We understand that searching through the vast variety of Veteran resources can be challenging. Let the Cape Cod Vet Center help you navigate these resources. We can refer, connect, and explain how to gather information on your VA benefits. To learn more about VA benefits and local Veteran agencies that can assist with VA benefits and veteran programs please click on the below hyper-links.
- Access your VA medical benefits and enroll in VA Health care
- Learn more about your VA benefits
- Learn more about your local Department of Veterans Services
- Joint Base Cape Cod
- Heroes in Transition
- Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center
- Cape Cod Veterans' Inc
- Cape Cod Cares 4 Troops
- Cape Cod Community College Veterans' Program
- Falmouth Military Support Group
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.
We are committed to functioning as a focal point where Veteran, service members, and community partners can connect and engage. The Cape Cod Vet Center can be your one-stop-shop to connect with all local Veteran agencies. We actively partner with numerous local agencies.
Cape Cod Vet Center supports local Veterans and service members through partnerships with local universities, businesses, military installations, working with local law enforcement and National Guard Armories. We also provide referrals to Veteran Service Organizations in the community.
Please call
Additionally, we value the role of connecting Veterans with each other. We sponsor and host recreational and social events to help Veterans meet and connect. Two examples include our summer picnic on Sandy neck and a weekly walking outing.
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
We have easy-to-use telehealth platforms that allow us to provide you with our same high-quality services virtually. All you need is a smartphone or similar device, an internet connection, and a private location.
How Vet Centers are different than a medical 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.
Call us at
Our confidential call center is staffed by combat Veterans from several eras and family members of Veterans.
You can talk to us about your military experience, issues around transitioning out of military service, or trauma. We’ll help connect you to resources and support at a Vet Center near you.