Anchorage 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. 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Tue. 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Wed. 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Thu. 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Fri. 7:30 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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New to the Vet Center? Please stop by during our office hours or give us a call to discuss how the Anchorage Vet Center staff can help. Call
We understand that you may not know what to expect for your first appointment with the Vet Center. On your first visit you can expect:
- You will complete an intake packet which includes Vet Center confidentiality, demographic information, release of information (optional) and assessments.
- A counselor will evaluate you to ensure that you and those around you are safe.
- You and your counselor will begin to establish and develop a treatment plan that is appropriate to your goals and needs.
- Follow-up appointments will be scheduled as appropriate as determined by your counselor.
The Anchorage Vet Center has walk in availability: We offer walk in appointments Monday - Friday from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm.
You do not 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 will 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 also answer any questions you might have.
The Anchorage Vet Center has parking directly in front of the building. Please park in any available space.
The main entrance is private. When you enter the building, you will encounter Vet Center staff ready to greet and assist you.
For assistance with transportation you can contact the Anchorage VA Clinic at
The Municipality of Anchorage provides public transportation services with the People Mover and the municipality bus lines. View People Mover Route Maps and Bus Stop Lists.
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.
Spotlight: Community
The Anchorage Vet Center has numerous gatherings throughout the year to bring Veterans, service members, Guard/Reserve and our community partners together in a recreational setting. Call to be added to our invite list!
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
If you have lost a loved one, you do not have to go through this difficult life adjustment alone. The Anchorage Vet Center can offer counseling and other support services, such as:
- Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one while they were serving on 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.
The Anchorage Vet Center team currently has four licensed professional counselors that offer a variety of therapeutic treatments for symptoms of PTSD, MST, depression, anxiety and readjustment.
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.
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.
The Anchorage Vet Center offers:
- Anger management
- Stress management
- Anxiety management
- Social support and activity engagement
Evidence-based therapies such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Whole Health
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.
Whole health puts you—instead of your illnesses or conditions—at the center of care. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals.
Whole health can be thought of as a circle of health with four key elements:
- Self
- Self-care
- Professional care
- Community
This concept puts the client at the center of their healthcare, rather than your illness or conditions.
The Anchorage Vet Center is pleased to offer iRest Nidra yoga and meditation. The benefits of iRest include:
- Improved sleep
- Stress relief
- Anxiety reduction
- Inner peace
- Improved well being
Please contact us for current dates and times.
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.
The Anchorage Vet Center has specialized counseling services and recreational activities for female Veterans and service members. Please contact us at
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.
Talk with us about overcoming substance abuse problems so we can offer services to meet your needs.
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.
The Vet Center can also provide you with ongoing counseling services.
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
Do you need assistance learning more about VA and community resources that can support you in achieving your goals? The Anchorage Vet Center can help you navigate:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for healthcare
- Where to file claims
- Understand your VA education benefits
- VA home loans
- VA burial 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.
The Anchorage Vet Center collaborates with our community partners, building local referral networks, to expand support services. A few of the community partners we collaborate with are:
- Local military installation-Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
- Local Veteran/Service member support organizations
- National Guard and Reserve units
- Veterans Service Officers
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
The Anchorage Vet Center is pleased to offer telehealth services to clients. Telehealth can be advantageous for clients who:
- Desire to receive counseling services from the privacy of their own home
- Are traveling
- Feel too ill to drive to the Vet Center but are still able to engage in counseling services
We’ll help you achieve your job and career goals. We can connect you with one-on-one support, counseling, and training.
Make your education benefits work for you! Talk with our staff about:
- GI Bill
- Vocational Rehabilitation
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.