Omaha 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 7:00 p.m.
- Tue. 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Wed. 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 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 give us a call and let's discuss how we can help. Call 402-346-6735 to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors.
Some same-day services are available.
We understand that you may not know what to expect for your first counseling appointment with us. Here's what you can expect on your first visit:
- You'll receive and be required to complete an intake packet that includes Vet Center confidentiality, demographic information, release of information (optional), and assessments as appropriate.
- We'll evaluate you to make sure that you and those around you are safe.
- You and your counselor will begin to establish and develop a treatment plan that's appropriate to your needs.
- We'll schedule follow-up appointments as appropriate and as determined by your counselor.
Ample free parking is available in our lot, which is located on the north side of the building. Our parking lot is accessible from north and southbound 42nd Street and both east and westbound Miranda Street via an alley to the west of the building. Please park in any available space.
There are 4 accessible parking spots located next to the building entrance and the 42nd Street entrance to the lot.
Metro Transit City bus line 3 (North 40th and South 42nd Street) stops on the southwest corner of 42nd and Miranda Street.
Metro Transit City bus line 15 (Center Street) stops on the southwest corner of 42nd and Center, two blocks north of the Omaha Vet Center.
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 check 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
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.
Omaha Vet Center groups
Our groups include the following:
- Vietnam Era
- Modern Era (Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.)
- Mixed era
- Bipolar group
- Hiking group
- Walking group
Please call to ask about group dates and times.
Share your hobbies with your fellow veterans!
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We use the following modalities related to couples counseling:
- Gottman Method
- Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT)
In addition, counselors may provide education to family members regarding the Veteran's military-related problems and/or post-military readjustment.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
We offer group and individual counseling services for 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.
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. We also provide referral services to appropriate resources in our community.
Care at our center includes the following:
- One-on-one counseling sessions targeted at your individual needs
- Group counseling for Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gulf War Veterans; Vietnam Veterans; and Bipolar group
We offer evidence-based practices such as these:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET)
- Eye Movement Desensitization Retraining (EMDR)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Written Exposure Therapy (WET)
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 provide individualized services to meet your needs. This includes group and individual therapy. We may use common evidence-based modalities such as these:
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
- Eye Movement Desensitization Retraining (EMDR)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Written Exposure Therapy (WET)
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.
Call ahead to make an appointment or use our same-day access services.
Our counselors use the following approaches for PTSD:
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET)
- Eye Movement Desensitization Retraining (EMDR)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Written Exposure Therapy (WET)
In addition, Veterans and service members will find staff with similar life experiences. We have 4 combat Veterans on staff—one from each branch of service.
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 a challenge. We offer a variety of ways to assist you in that process:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- Where to go to file claims and other forms
- Understanding your VA education benefits
- Housing and home loans
- Education and referral for VA burial 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.
For Veterans and current service members with substance use disorders, we offer the Seeking Safety program.
We partner with and provide referrals to the Omaha VA Medical Center.
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're proud to partner with the local American Legion, Disabled American Veteran, and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, as well as County and State Veterans Service Offices to assist Veterans and service members in their needs.
We also have relationships with local universities' Veteran and military-connected services to aid you in using your education benefits.
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 work closely with the local DAV, American Legion, County Veteran Service Offices, education institutions, and businesses to educate and inform their staff and clientele about Veteran and service member needs.
We promote the celebration of Vietnam Veteran's Commemoration Day events and activities, in partnership with The University of Nebraska at Omaha and Bellevue University.
We also partner with employers like Facebook, Northern Natural Gas, Mutual of Omaha, and others to set up Veteran-centric events.
Please call us if you'd like to learn more.
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.