Active-duty service members who served in a combat or war zone and their family members will be able to get free counseling at the Pensacola Vet Center.
The services offered include:
• Individual, group, and family readjustment counseling to assist active duty service members in making a successful transition from combat to garrison or civilian life
• Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and help with other related problems that affect functioning within the family, work, school or other areas of everyday life
• Military sexual trauma counseling for active duty service members of both genders
Active-duty service members will be required to provide documentation by their third visit indicating they have served in a combat or war zone to continue counseling. A copy of one of the following documents will meet this requirement: deployment demobilization order, enlisted record brief, officer record brief, or an award citation indicating service member served in a combat zone. These services are also available to family members of active duty combat service members and any combat Veteran.
Extended hours
The Pensacola Vet Center has extended its hours five days a week (Monday-Friday). Early morning and late afternoon hours are now offered to accommodate Veterans and active-duty personnel needs. The Pensacola Vet Center hours of operation are:
Monday: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Thursday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday: 6 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Pensacola Vet Center will also be open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Vet Center staff respects the privacy of all clients, and holds information in strictest confidence. No information will be communicated to any person or agency without written consent, except in necessary circumstances to avert a crisis.
Vet Center staff presence at Lillian, Ala., outreach event
The Pensacola Vet Center staff and its 39-foot Mobile Vet Center vehicle will be present at the Optimist Club of Perdido Bay’s 27th Annual Family Health Fair at the Lillian Community Club (34148 Widell Street, off Highway 98) on March 8. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon. For more information on the health fair, contact Lynn Neff at 251-961-1086.
For more information on Vet Center services, please call the Pensacola Vet Center at 850-456-5886. The Pensacola Vet Center is located at 4504 Twin Oaks Drive. Learn more about VA Vet Centers here: www.vetcenter.va.gov. Veterans can speak confidentially with a Vet Center counselor at any time by calling 1-877-WAR-VETS (877-927-8387).
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pensacola Vet Center ready to serve active duty, veterans