Bucks County 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 within 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
Select a topic to learn more.
First-time visitor? Call 215-823-4590 or stop by during our office hours to schedule an appointment. We can discuss how we can help you. Many of our services are available on a walk-in basis. Ask about our non-traditional hours.
You don’t need to be enrolled in VA health care, have a service-connected disability or receiving any other VA benefits to be seen at the Vet Center. 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, we can help you obtain them or come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and answer any questions you might have.
By car: We’re located downtown in Bristol Boro, on the corner of Old Route 13 and Mill Street. If you use GPS, it will take you to the rear of our building, where you’ll find ample free parking.
By bus: You can access the Vet Center using SEPTA, Route 128, the Oxford Valley Mall route. The closest bus stop to our location is on the corner of Mill Street and Pond Street. From here, travel along Mill Street toward the traffic light at the corner of Mill Street and Old Route 13. Then enter our building at the Canal’s End Plaza entrance, located at 418 Mill Street.
Check the transit map on SEPTA
By train: We’re located less than a mile from the Bristol train station. You can access it through the Trenton Line of SEPTA rail. Once you’re at the train station, go down the stairs, then turn right toward Washington Street. Turn left onto Washington Street. Turn right onto Prospect Street. Turn left onto Beaver Street. Travel approximately 0.4 miles on Beaver Street, then turn right onto Pond Street. Go approximately 0.2 miles, then turn left onto Mill Street. The Canal’s End Plaza entrance will be on your right.
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.
Groups at the Bucks County Vet Center
Group Counseling offerings are continually being updated here at the Bucks County Vet Center to meet the ever-evolving needs of our clients. Please contact us at 215-823-4590 to ask about the latest status.
Preventing Veteran and caregiver suicide
Veterans and their caregivers face unique challenges, but they don’t have to navigate them alone. Click on the link below to learn more about VA Suicide Prevention
Counseling services
Select a topic to learn more.
We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
All of our counselors are licensed professional counselors and licensed clinical social workers. They’re trained in working with families and couples, using techniques such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Our counselors understand what families go through when their Veteran or service member loved one is struggling. We’re here for you.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. We understand this. We’re here to provide emotional support during your journey of grief recovery. This could include:
- Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one while serving on active duty
- Grief counseling
- Contact information for the Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration regarding possible burial and survivor benefits
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 strive to foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all Veterans and active-duty service members, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
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.
All of our therapists are either licensed professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers. Combined, they have over 40 years of experience in working with the Veteran population. We offer both individual and group counseling.
All individual counseling sessions use evidence-based therapies such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
In addition, we also provide group counseling. Some examples of groups we have had include:
- Guitar class
- Era- and conflict-specific group counseling
We have 2 PTSD groups currently running: one for Vietnam Veterans, and the other for Veterans from all eras and conflicts. Additional groups will be added depending on expressed interest and appropriateness. All groups require counselor referral.
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 understand the effect that military sexual trauma (MST) can have on both the mental and physical health of the survivor, and that survivors are both female and male. We’re here to provide free, confidential counseling for any of the effects of MST. These may include:
- Experiencing strong emotions
- Experiencing no emotions at all (feeling emotionally numb)
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Relationship difficulties
Our therapists are all either licensed professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers, specifically trained in working with MST survivors. We use the following evidence-based therapies:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
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.
Counseling can help you understand your feelings and reactions, and develop techniques that allow you to cope with those feelings when they arise.
Our licensed therapists are specifically trained in a variety of evidence-based therapeutic methods. These methods include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Our goal is to help you achieve your goals.
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.
Whether you’re transitioning out of the military back to civilian life, returning from a deployment overseas back stateside, or anywhere in between, our counselors can help the transition go smoothly. In addition to direct counseling, we offer the following referral services:
Employment
- CareerLink (employment and testing service)
- Job leads direct from companies and other agencies
Housing
- VA HUD/VASH program
- Veterans Multi-Service Center (provides a variety of services, including temporary shelter)
- Salute 2 Service (local non-profit)
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.
We are here to meet the unique challenges women Veterans face when reentering the civilian world. Our counseling staff is primarily made up of women who understand the unique challenges of women Veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
Referral services
Select a topic to learn more.
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 can provide counseling for those struggling with substance use issues, using counseling techniques such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
We also provide referrals to inpatient and intensive outpatient programs, such as those provided at the Coatesville VA Medical Center.
Visit the Coatesville VA Medical Center site
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 work closely with our counterparts in suicide prevention at VA medical centers to reach out to those not connected to services, and to those already connected to services but feeling disconnected from friends and family.
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
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.
Other services
Select a topic to learn more.
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’re an active member of the Veteran and military community throughout Bucks County and the greater Philadelphia. We conduct outreach at numerous Veteran-centric events throughout the year. We also partner with several VA and community organizations to ensure further support. These organizations include:
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
Sometimes, it’s just not possible to get to the Vet Center for an in-person appointment. We now offer counseling services by phone and telehealth. Don’t let your circumstances prevent you from receiving the help you need.
How Vet Centers are different than a medical clinic
Select a topic to learn more.
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:
-
The Veteran or service member died while serving on active duty, or
-
The Veteran was using Vet Center services at the time of their death, or
-
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.