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Peoria 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

5015 American Prairie Drive
Peoria, IL 61615

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
Peoria Vet Center Office Front

Other locations

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

View more Peoria 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

Click on a topic for more details.

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, by telephone, or through telehealth. 

You can call 309-689-9708 to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors. Non-traditional hours are available upon request. 

For additional assistance after hours, on weekends, and on holidays, you can call the Vet Center Call Center at 877-927-8387

We're located behind The Shoppes at Grand Prairie. 

We have a well-lit parking area. You can park in any available space. 

Accessible parking is available near our entrance. 

You can access us through CityLink Public Transit Service. You'll arrive via the number 3 Northwest Peoria route, using the American Prairie stop.  

Go to CityLink for scheduling, ADA mobility routes, and tips to plan your visit

Learn about CityLink's paratransit service and ADA mobility options

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 of 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 question you might have. 

In the spotlight at Peoria Vet Center

Counseling services

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

Counselors may offer opportunities for your partner or other family members to join your individual 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. Couples or family therapy can coincide with individual therapy. 

Couples and family therapy can help with:

  • Improved communication needs
  • Partner distress
  • Problem solving skills
  • Family transitioning challenges
  • Expectations after the deployment
  • Family changes during the deployment
  • Numbing or avoidance in family interactions
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Child behavioral concerns
  • Family violence or domestic abuse
  • Managing stress as a family
  • PTSD and the family

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

We offer bereavement counseling to family members of service members who died while serving on active duty. We also provide services to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet Center services at the time of the Veteran's death.

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.

Our team is a diverse group. We have both male and female counselors, with many of the staff being Veterans themselves, or having vast knowledge and/or experience working with Veterans, service members, and military communities. Our counselors are licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), and licensed clinical professional counselors (LCPC).

We commonly address the following concerns: 

  • Difficulties adjusting to civilian life following deployment or activation
  • Concerns with lack of meaning or purpose
  • Unhealthy use of drugs and/or alcohol
  • Anxiety and stress reactions
  • Depression and lack of motivation
  • Helping to address and cope with moral injury
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Anger, aggressive behavior, as well as reckless behaviors

We offer some of the following evidence-based treatments: 

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) 
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Gottman Therapy for Couples

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. You can call us at 309-689-9708. Our counselors have ways to help you cope with MST and empower you to not only survive but to thrive. Based on your preference, we have male and female counselors available to help you.

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 recognize that asking for help takes courage. We pride ourselves on being able to offer a safe space to our Veterans and service members. 

Our team is a diverse group, both male and female, with many of the staff being Veterans themselves, or having vast knowledge and/or experience working with Veterans, service members, and military communities. Our counselors are licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), and licensed clinical professional counselors (LCPC).

We commonly address the following concerns: 

  • Difficulties adjusting to civilian life following deployment or activation
  • Concerns of lack of meaning or purpose
  • Unhealthy use of drugs and/or alcohol
  • Anxiety and stress reactions
  • Depression and lack of motivation
  • Helping to address and cope with moral injury
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Anger, aggressive behavior, as well as reckless behaviors

We offer some of the following evidence-based treatments: 

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) 
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Gottman Therapy for Couples

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
  • Connection to employment opportunities
  • Using VA education benefits
  • Using your VA home loan
  • Connecting to state benefits and services

If you have any questions call 309-689-9708

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.

Substance use often goes hand-in-hand with PTSD, depression, or stress. We can help you understand how problematic drinking or drug use might be related to other stressors in your life. We’ll help support you with relapse intervention and prevention. We’ll also help connect you with more intensive or comprehensive substance use treatment programs within VA or in our 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 priority first and foremost is your safety. If you feel hopeless, suicidal, or are in crisis, let your counselor know so we can work together. We want to support you in the moment, and also create a safety plan with you to feel safer and more hopeful about the future.

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 these tasks:

  • How to activate VA medical benefits and enroll in care
  • Where to file disability claims and other VA related 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 assist in connecting you with a local Veterans Service Officer (VSO). Call the Vet Center Call Center at 877-927-8387 to find out more information. 

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: 

Our networks also extend out to the First Responder departments throughout the Peoria area. 

Please call 309-689-9708 if you or your organization is interested in learning more about ways to partner with us. 

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.