Kansas City 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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- Please call 816-922-5300 to speak with a team member who can help schedule an appointment, answer any questions you may have, or provide an appropriate referral.
- Same-day services are available. Call for details.
- Non-traditional hours are available by appointment.
First-time visitor? Stop by during our office hours or give us a call and let's discuss how we can help. Call 816-922-5300 to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors.
Here’s what you can expect 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.
- You’ll be evaluated to ensure that you and those around you are safe.
- You and your counselor will begin to establish and develop a treatment plan that’s appropriate to your needs.
- Follow-up appointments will be scheduled as appropriate as determined by your counselor.
We have a parking garage attached to the facility. For your convenience, park on Level 1. The entrance to the building is posted on the right as you make your second turn in the garage on Level 1.
There’s accessible parking and access to the building on the ground level (G). For those using the ground level (G), enter the double doors in the parking garage and take the elevator to floor 1. Then follow the arrow to the Vet Center entrance.
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, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and also answer any questions you might have.
Public transportation is available through Kansas City Regional Transit.
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.
Chair yoga for you
Join certified yoga therapist and U.S. Army Veteran Shannon Basham as she guides you through this easy-to-follow gentle chair yoga practice, offered every Friday. Call 816-922-5300 for enrollment and eligibility.
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 licensed clinical marriage and family therapist (LCMFT) available for family and couples 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
- Bereavement counseling to family members of a Veteran or service member who was receiving Vet Center services at the time of their death
- 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’ll work with you to create a treatment plan tailored to meet your unique needs. The plan may include individual, group, couples, and/or family therapy.
Our specialty care includes:
- Peer support groups
- Recreation and relaxation groups (such as mindfulness yoga)
We use evidence-based therapies such as:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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 offer individual and group counseling by counselors with specific training related to military sexual trauma care.
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. We’ll work with you to create a treatment plan tailored to meet your unique needs. The plan may include individual, group, couples, and/or family therapy.
We use evidence-based therapies such as:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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 work closely with and provide referrals to the Kansas City VA Medical Center Behavioral Health Department.
If you’re homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we can help you connect with resources in your community.
We can connect you with VA’s HUD-VASH program or other community resources.
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.
We understand that navigating the variety of Veteran resources can be challenge. We can help educate you on topics such as:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- What is the contact and location of the closest VA Medical Center to me?
- Understanding your VA education benefits
- What is a VA home loan? (PDF)
- Education and referral for VA burial benefits
- Getting a Veteran ID card
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’re committed to functioning as a focal point where Veterans, service members, and community partners can connect and engage. Please call if you or your organization is interested in learning more about partnering with us.
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.