Wasilla Vet Center
The Wasilla Vet Center serves the entire Matanuska-Susitna Borough, including Talkeetna, along with Glennallen, Valdez, and Copper Center. Plus, we serve Bethel, Kodiak, Lake & Clark Peninsula, and all of Southeast Alaska, including Juneau. We offer confidential help for Veterans, service members, and their families at no-cost in a non-medical setting. Services include counseling for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, life stressors, readjustment to civilian life, and the psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST). We also help with connections to VA and community partners.
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.
View more Wasilla Vet Center locationsWe 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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- The Wasilla Vet Center is located in the heart of Wasilla, just down Bogard Rd from Wasilla High School in the Bogard Professional Plaza.
- Free parking is in the front of the building.
- Wheelchair access is through the front of the building.
- Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks are required and provided.
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.
Making an appointment:
After your initial contact with the Wasilla Vet Center, the Vet Center Director will be notified to call you to schedule an appointment. You can expect a return call within 1-2 business days and we should be able to schedule your first appointment within 2-10 business days, depending on schedule availabilities.
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.
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.
First-time visitor or walk-ins:
- If you are a first-time visitor, stop by during our office hours or call 907-376-4318 to discuss how we can help.
- Many of our services are available on a walk-in basis.
Transportation to Vet Center appointments can be arranged through the following local community resources:
- Valley Transit: call 907-864-5000 or go online with this link for more information about routes and schedules.
- Mat-Su Senior Services: to learn more about eligibility for services and how to schedule a ride, call 907-745-5454 or go online with this link .
In the spotlight at Wasilla Vet Center
Find connection, find camaraderie, find community
Learn more about the confidential and comfortable environment you’ll find at your local Vet Center.
2 NEW GROUPS! Morning Muster & Miniatures painting Group. Walk-ins Welcome!!
Announcing Two New Groups!! Morning Muster, weekdays 0830-0930 and a miniatures painting group, Wednesdays 1pm-3pm! The staff continues to work hard to get existing groups back up and more new ones formed . Keep checking back!
Women's History Month Event for Women Veterans - March 18th 2023 11am-12:30pm
Women Veterans!! "FOREVER Strong & Healthy at any Age" Presented by by professional trainer Deno Bell. A clinic and discussion about: Women, Exercise, Nutrition and Hormones for every season/age of life. Please RSVP 907-376-4318
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
The Wasilla Vet Center has licensed social workers and counselors who provide couples counseling to support healthy relationship goals and family readjustment after military life and deployments.
We offer conjoint counseling for Veterans with their spouses or significant others.
We’re here to support you if someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change.
Wasilla Vet Center offers counseling and other support, such as:
- Bereavement counseling for families after the death of an active duty service member
- Grief counseling for families of Vet Center clients who pass away
- Grief counseling for families or caregivers of Veterans who die while in a VA facility
- Community referrals for bereavement counseling for adolescents
If you're a Veteran who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, or a related identity, we can help you find counseling, support, and referral services to meet your specific needs.
We serve all who served. We can help all eligible Veterans with counseling, therapy, support, case management, and referral services to meet specific needs.
We also work closely with LGBTQIA+ service providers at the Alaska VA Healthcare System and other community partners, and we can make a direct referrals. For additional information- VA Alaska Health Care | Veterans Affairs
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.
Individual therapy and counseling are offered for a wide array of mental health concerns ranging from adjustment problems, transitioning to civilian life, returning from deployment, depressive symptoms, anxiety, managing stress, relationship difficulties, and sleep problems, to MST and PTSD.
Specialty services are offered in a respectful manner to all BIPoC and LGBTQIA+ Veterans and family members.
At the Wasilla Vet Center we offer the following specialized treatment modalities:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
- Image Rehearsal Therapy (IRT)
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.
The Wasilla Vet Center has counselors who utilize a trauma-informed care approach to provide therapy and supportive services to MST survivors.
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.
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.
Recreational, Whole-Health, and Peer Groups at the Vet Center
Morning Muster:
- Every weekday (except Federal Holidays) 0830-0930. Drop in for morning coffee and snacks! Walk-ins welcome!
Role-Playing Table-Top, Card Games, and Board Gaming Groups at the Vet Center:
- Fridays 1:30 p.m. to 4:30pm & 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
RPG Miniatures painting and social group:
- Wednesdays 1:00pm -3:00pm
Yoga:
- Wednesdays 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.** PLEASE CALL AHEAD TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY **at the Wasilla Vet Center (Except 3rd Wednesday-See Below)
- Through the Veterans Yoga Project, staff from the Vet Center hold space for yoga with Veterans, active duty service members, and family members on Sundays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more info: email Erica Glass at erica.glass@veteransyogaproject.org
Peer Support Group:
- Wounded Warrior Peer Support Group meets at the Wasilla Vet Center on the 3rd Wednesday of every month 6 :00 p.m. to 8:00pm
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 Wasilla Vet Center proudly welcomes eligible female active duty service members and Veterans. We offer services in a sensitive and safe environment for counseling, therapy, support, and referral services to meet unique needs.
We also work closely with the Women Veterans Health Program Manager and service providers at the Alaska VA Healthcare System and can make a direct referrals. For more information - VA Alaska Health Care | Veterans Affairs
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.
At the Wasilla Vet Center, we provide long-term supportive care to help Veterans and service members overcome underlying issues.
We refer Veterans and service members struggling with addiction to the Alaska VA Healthcare System and other community partners for primary addiction treatment, detoxification, stabilization.
If you’re homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we can help you connect with resources in your community.
If you need immediate assistance, call: National Call Center for Homeless Veterans - VA Homeless Programs
For more information- VA Alaska Health Care | Veterans Affairs
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.
For help with or questions about Veterans benefits and claims:
A Community Contact from the Veterans Benefits Administration, is available in the Vet Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Use VERA - Home (force.com) to schedule an in-person, telephone, or video appointment.
There is also a Veterans Service Officer on-site from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
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’ll help you achieve your job and career goals. We can connect you with one-on-one support, counseling, and training.
For help with employment, we offer:
Job Club with the Alaska VHA Vocational Rehabilitation Services team on Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to noon.
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.
Vet Center services are available to you at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without you needing to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you’re a Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access our services if you:
- Served on active military duty in any combat theater or area of hostility
- Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era)
- Provided mortuary services or direct emergent medical care to treat the casualties of war while serving on active military duty
- Performed as a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility
- Accessed care at a Vet Center prior to January 2, 2013, as a Vietnam-Era Veteran
- Served on active military 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 in that state.
- Are a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, regardless of the location.
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Are a current member of the Reserve Components assigned to a military command in a drilling status, including active Reserves, who has a behavioral health condition or psychological trauma related to military service that adversely effects quality of life or adjustment to civilian life.
We encourage you to contact us, even if you’re unsure if you meet these criteria. If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who will.
Our services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so do we. We also offer bereavement services to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet Center services at the time of the Veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty.
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.