Ocala 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 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.
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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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.
Appointments can be made by calling 352-237-1947 for assistance.
If you need to cancel an existing appointment, call 352-237-1947.
You’re also welcome to walk in or call us to learn more about how we can best assist you.
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 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, we can work with you to establish your eligibility and answer any questions you might have.
We’re located off College Road/200. At the stoplight by Red Lobster depending on which way you’re coming from, don’t turn into Red Lobster—turn the opposite way onto SW 34th Avenue. You can find us in the 3300 Paddock Park Business Center.
We’re located in the 3300 Paddock Park Business Center facing SW 34th Avenue. The Vet Center has unmarked spaces available in the front and side for use. Our entry is also wheelchair accessible.
We can be accessed through the Suntran Public Transit service.
Check the Suntran routes and schedules
You can also call 352-629-2489 for more information.
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.
Currently available groups
For more information on groups call 352-237-1947.
- Veterans of color PTSD
- PTSD groups in Ocala and The Villages
- Stress management guitar
- Equine therapy
- Couples therapy
- Bowling social
- Female Veterans
- Guitars for Vets (guitar lessons)
Borne the Battle podcast
Listen to the Borne the Battle Podcast to learn more about the unique services Vet Centers offer.
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We have a marriage and family therapist. Care at our center includes:
- Individual counseling for couples, spouses, children, and significant others
- Couples counseling
- Marriage and family counseling
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
We offer counseling and other support 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.
We offer individual and group counseling. We also provide referral services to appropriate resources in our community. Care at our center includes:
- One-on-one hour-long counseling sessions targeted at your individual needs
- Group counseling for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, spouses, and significant others
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 counseling, treatment, and community referrals. We have both male and female counselors.
If you’re a Veteran from a minority community, we can help you find counseling, support, and referral services to meet your specific needs.
We provide a Vietnam Veterans of color PTSD group. A referral is needed to join.
Call 352-237-1947 for more information or speak to your counselor.
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 offer individual and group counseling.
Care at our center includes:
- Anger management
- Stress management
- Activity engagement
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 such as:
- 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.
We provide referrals to our local VAMC substance use program and community providers 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.
We have a team that is trained in helping to prevent suicide by Veterans, service members, and their family members. Our team is here to provide nonjudgmental support to help you or your family member deal with both acute crisis situations or supportive counseling to assist with managing your symptoms while you’re on your journey to emotional wellness. We address suicide prevention in the following ways:
- Trainings to assist community members, including Veterans and service members, in becoming better equipped to reach others who need help.
- Referrals to needed services within the community—both within VA and in the private sector.
- Providing risk assessments for Veterans and service members to evaluate their level of care needed.
- Development of safety plans to assist with suicide prevention, including partnering with local community stakeholders to present Project Life Force programming to groups.
Are you a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one? If these symptoms lead to thoughts of death or suicide, it's important you talk to someone right away.
- Chat online with the Veterans Crisis Line
- Text 838255
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
We can help educate you on topics such as:
- 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.
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 participate in the community for resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
- We participate in Marion County Veteran Coalition meeting.
- We have a Community Connection to local Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for claims and benefits support.
- We attend trainings to assist community members, including Veterans and service members, in becoming better equipped to reach others who need help.
- We host a quarterly Community Client Stakeholder Board meeting to get insight on the needs of our Veterans, service members, and clients to better serve our Veterans with the assistance of community partners.
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.