Tampa 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, 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.
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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First-time visitor? Stop by during our office hours or call us at 813-372-0400 to discuss how we can help.
Walk-ins are welcome, but we prefer you make an appointment.
During your first appointment, you’ll complete an intake form and discuss future care.
If you know you’ll need to miss a scheduled appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so your counselor can reschedule your appointment.
You can call us at 813-372-0400 to reach us anytime during our posted hours of operation. If you need to call outside of those times, on weekends, or holidays, the Vet Center Call Center is available 24/7 at 877-927-8737.
You don’t need to be registered for care at a VA health care facility, rated for a service-connected disability, or receiving any other form of VA benefits. On your first visit, we’ll look for one or more of the following:
- Discharge documents (such as 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 answer any questions you might have.
We have several free parking spaces in the front of our facility. Two of those spots are designated as accessible, with a connecting wheelchair ramp.
You can travel to the Tampa Vet Center by using the following bus lines:
- Line 46 Brandon Boulevard
- Line 37 Bandon - Netpark
For more information on bus routes, schedules, and maps, please visit the Hillsborough Transit Authority page.
Find bus map and schedules for the Hillsborough Transit Authority
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.
We help active, transitioning, and retiring service members
We assist active, transitioning, and retiring service members. We provide them with official information and connect them with helpful resources. Play the video to learn more about how Vet Centers have helped Veterans and service members.
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
Counseling is centered around the service member or Veteran’s goals in readjusting after service or trauma.
This may differ from couples and family counseling in traditional settings. While the family unit is the focus, the services are driven by the Veteran or active-duty service member. To continue counseling, the Veteran or active-duty service member will need to remain engaged at all times. We offer a number of modalities, psychoeducation, and most importantly support.
You’ll need to complete an intake before scheduling a couples or family counseling session.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
We support Gold Star Families. Our counselors offer grief and bereavement counseling to family members of service members who died while serving on active duty or to family members of Veterans who were receiving services at the time of their death. We can also help you connect with both the Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration.
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 offer both individual and group counseling. We employ the following evidence-based therapies at our facility:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
- Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction (TrIGR)
- Gottman Method (for couples)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD
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 use evidence-based therapies and supportive services to treat those who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). We have both male and female counselors available to help you based on your preference.
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 offer both individual and group counseling. We employ the following evidence-based therapies at our facility:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
- Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction (TrIGR)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD
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.
Our team recognizes that completing military service can come with a variety of new challenges. We can provide education and connection for the following areas of concern:
- VA health care benefits
- Employment opportunities
- VA educational benefits
- Federal, state, and local Veteran benefits and services
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.
We can connect you to inpatient or outpatient substance use treatment in the community or our local VA Medical Center Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program.
If you’re homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we can help you connect with resources in your community.
Our team can connect you with the VA's Homeless Heroes Program. The program's national number is
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.
Seeking help is a the first step to feeling safer and more optimistic about your future. We're here to help you regain a sense of purpose. We can offer:
- A non-judgmental approach to further understanding your circumstance
- Validation of your feelings and experience
- An opportunity to create safety
- An opportunity to create meaning
- Reminders that you are not alone in this journey
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
The following are links to some of our VA connections as well as community stakeholders:
James Haley Veterans Hospital - Assists Veterans to get VA medical benefits and other resources and information
Hillsborough County Veteran Service Office - Assists Veterans, dependents, and survivors to file service-connected claims
VA’s benefits information and questions - Assists Veterans, dependents, and survivors of Veterans with information on an array of VA offices and programs
VA’s Home Loan Guaranty Program - Assists Veterans to understand and get the required document to participate in VA’s Home Loan Guaranty Program
National Cemetery Administration - Assists Veterans and the survivors of Veterans to understand and get the required documents to participate in VA’s burial and memorial benefits
We can also connect you to Veterans Service Organizations, which are located in the Hillsborough County area.
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're committed to functioning as a focal point where Veterans, service members, and community partners can connect and engage. We actively partner with the following entities:
- Bay Area Legal Services - Assists eligible Veterans with an array of legal concerns
- K9 Partners for Patriots - Assists eligible Veterans in the training of service dogs
- Habitat for Humanity Hillsborough County - Assists eligible Veterans to own their own home
- Crisis Center of Tampa Bay - Assists Veterans and their family members with crisis counseling
- MacDill’s Military and Family Readiness Center - Assists active-duty members with resources and information
- Florida Kid Care - Assists eligible Veterans to get dental insurance for their children
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
We use VA Video Connect (VVC) to provide services via telehealth. VVC allows for those who are unable to conduct in-person visits to still engage with their counselors without having to come to the Vet Center.
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.