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Huntsville 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.

Locations and contact information

Main Location

415 Church Street
Building H, Suite 101
Huntsville, AL 35801

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
Huntsville Vet Center - picture of building

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 to the Huntsville Vet Center? Give us a call and let's discuss any questions you might have. Call 256-539-5775 to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors. 

Making an appointment:

After your initial contact with us, the Vet Center director will be notified of your interest and will work to match you with a counselor. You can expect a return call within 1 to 2 business days, and we will schedule your first appointment within 2 to 10 business days, depending on schedule availabilities. Anyone in crisis will have their needs addressed immediately. 

Contacting us:

You can call 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. Calling our main line after hours will automatically send you to the Vet Center call center.

Cancelling or rescheduling an appointment:

If you know you will miss an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can reschedule your appointment and make that time available for another Veteran or service member. 

First-time visitor or walk-ins:

If you’re a first-time visitor, stop by during our office hours or call 256-539-5775 to discuss how we can help. Many of our services are available on a walk-in basis. 

We’re located in a office building in a small office plaza at 415 Church Street in the downtown area of Huntsville. The office buildings are located directly across from the  Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau. We’re in Building H, Suite 100, in the back of the building on the first floor.  

Parking:

Free unlimited parking is available in the lot in front of our building. Accessible parking is available on the east side of the building. If the parking lot is full in front of our building, you can park in any parking lot where spots are available. Parking is free and unlimited all over the office plaza. 

We’re accessible by public transit. The Orbit Public Transit System runs Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on 9 routes, covering over 175 miles of Huntsville streets every hour. To arrive via the Orbit Bus Route 1 - Brahan Spring, you can get off at the Transfer Station located at 500-B Church Street. 

Check Orbit Public Transit System schedules and routes

Tickets may be purchased at the downtown Huntsville Transit station, 500-B Church Street, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Service animals are welcome in all City of Huntsville public transit vehicles.

Huntsville also provides senior citizens and disabled individuals with Access, which is a specialized, door-to-door, demand-response paratransit service. For more information call

Learn more about Access

You don’t 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’ll 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 answer any questions you might have.

In the spotlight at Huntsville Vet Center

Counseling services

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

We’re happy to meet with you and your family members based on your needs. The counselors at our facility use various methods of treatment when it comes to couples or family sessions.

We encourage our Veterans and service members to address any personal concerns through individual therapy that can coincide with family therapy; this can help with getting the most value out of your sessions. During individual therapy, the counselors can offer opportunities for your partner or other family members to join in the session, once or twice. This can provide an opportunity for your family members to learn more about your needs and ways to best support you during your treatment.

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

We offer counseling and other support, such as:

  • Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one during active duty
  • Grief counseling

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 individual and group counseling. Our specialty groups include:

  • Vietnam Combat Veterans
  • Global War on Terrorism
  • Whole Health
  • Women Veterans

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.

Military sexual trauma (MST) can continue to affect survivors long after the experience. It can also impact different traumas that may have occurred during your lifetime. Our counselors have ways to help you cope with MST and empower you to not only survive but to thrive.

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 evidence-based therapies, including

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) 

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 completing your military service can come with a variety of new challenges. Navigating the VA system along with other benefits you may be entitled to can be extremely overwhelming. We can be the bridge to get you connected with the following services:

  • Enrollment in VA health care benefits
  • Filing a military-related disability claim
  • Connecting to employment opportunities
  • Using VA education benefits
  • Using your VA home loan
  • Connecting to state benefits and services

There are many other opportunities that may be available. If you have any questions call 256-539-5775.

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 offer evidence-based therapies and referrals (as needed) to support your goals.

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.

We understand that searching for resources can be challenging. Let us help you navigate through the following:

  • How to activate VA medical benefits and enroll in care
  • Where to file disability claims and other forms
  • How to make the most of your VA education benefits 
  • How to use your VA home loan
  • How to access VA burial benefits

We can also connect you to the local Veteran Service Officer in your town. Call us at 256-539-5775 to find out more.

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:

We offer workshops and classes if you want to connect with other Veterans but don't want a group counseling setting.

We offer a variety of in person group support services, workshops and classes to include:

- Women Veterans Support Group - Bi-Weekly Tuesdays at 12:00 pm

- Veterans Yoga Classes - Weekly Tuesdays at 2:00 pm

- Vietnam Veterans Support Group - Bi-Weekly Wednesdays at 11:00 am

- Caregiver/Significant Other Support Group - Bi-Weekly Wednesdays at 11:00 am

- All Eras Support & Connection Group - Bi-Weekly Thursdays at 10:00 am

- Stress (PTSD) Support Group - Bi-Weekly Thursdays at 12:00 pm

- Music Therapy Group - Bi-Weekly Thursdays at 12:00 pm

- Couples Workshop - Quarterly/Seasonal workshop for relationship skill building

** Groups and workshops available to Vet Center clients only. If you are not a client, please contact us to get enrolled in our program. Call the office for more information

 

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
  • Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)
  • Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP)
  • Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
  • Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)
  • Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC)

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.