Chicago Heights 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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- First-time visitor? Please call 708-754-8885 to speak with a team member. They can assist you with scheduling an appointment, answering any questions you may have, or providing an appropriate referral.
- Same-day services are available. Call for details.
- Non-traditional hours are available by appointment.
We're located behind Skyline Restaurant.
Parking is free. We have a large well-lit parking area. Please park in any available space near our entrance. Any vehicle parked in the Skyline restaurant parking area will be towed.
Accessible parking and a ramp are available.
From our parking area, enter the first-floor lobby area and take the elevator or stairs to the second floor. When you exit the elevator, you'll see the Vet Center office.
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 answer any questions you might have.
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.
Need Help with your VA claim?
Veterans Service Officers from VFW and the IL State Dept. of Veterans Affairs are available at the Chicago Heights Vet Center on the second and fourth Wednesdays and Fridays. Call us at
Chicago Heights Vet Center groups
Our groups include the following:
- Anger management group
- Vietnam Veterans group
- Military Sexual Trauma group
- OEF/OIF Group
- Women Veterans group
- Partners group
To find out more call us at
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We strongly encourage spouses, significant others, and families to be involved in the Veteran's and service member's healing process. This can provide an opportunity for your family members to learn more about your needs and ways to best support you during your treatment.
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 with a loved one who died during 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. Our specialty groups include:
- Vietnam Combat Veterans
- OEF/OIF groups
- Combat Veterans (era integrated)
- Women Veterans
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.
Our counselors are trained and experienced with providing counseling for military sexual trauma (MST).
- We have male and female counselors available for individual counseling
- We strive to create a harassment-free and all-inclusive environment
- We offer group counseling sessions for those who have experienced MST
- We can also facilitate enrollment and treatment in VA health care for any physical injuries related to your MST
The MST experience doesn’t have to be reported.
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 feeling on edge and on guard, having trouble with sleep or mood, or just feeling unlike yourself following a major event or critical incident, we can help. We'll teach you tools to manage these problems and get back on track. Asking for help takes courage and we provide the private, comfortable setting with expert counselors to help you take that next step.
Learn more about your treatment options
We commonly address the following concerns:
- Anxiety and stress reactions
- Depression and lack of motivation
- Sleep difficulties, including sleep problems caused by shift work
- Anger, aggressive behavior, and reckless behaviors
- Difficulties adjusting to civilian life following a deployment or activation
Here are some of the evidence-based treatments we offer:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Group Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution Focused Therapy
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 recognize that completing military service can come with a variety of new challenges. Navigating the VA system and other benefits alone can be overwhelming. We can provide assistance getting connected to the appropriate resources for:
- Enrollment in VA health care benefits
- Filing a military-related disability claim
- Finding employment opportunities
- Using VA education benefits
- Using your VA home loan
- Connecting to state benefits and services
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.
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 can connect you to services to help with substance use. We can also provide free services to address the underlying issues.
We refer Veterans and service members to our local VA facilities and to community partners for detox, treatment, and medication management.
Some of our partners include:
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 searching through a variety of Veteran resources can be challenging. Let us help you navigate these resources. We can refer, connect, and explain how to gather information on your VA benefits. We can connect you with VA benefits and local Veteran agencies, such as:
- Access your VA medical benefits and enroll in VA health care
- Benefits VA offers to Post-9/11 Veterans
- Veterans service records
- Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (ILDVA)
We can connect you with your local Veterans Service Office (VSO). They can also assist you with the following:
- General VA benefits consultation
- Disability pension survivor/dependency indemnity claims (DIC)
- Appeals
- Military service records requests
- Correction applications
- Discharge status upgrade
- Burial/funeral reimbursements
- Education
- Flag requests
- Referrals
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 value community partnerships, and we're intentional about engaging with our local communities regularly.
Some of our established partners include:
- National Guard and Reserve units
- State universities and community colleges
- Veteran Service Organizations
- Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs
- Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network
- Illinois Joining Forces
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
Busy schedule? We get it. We have easy-to-use telehealth platforms that allow us to provide you with the same high-quality services virtually. Please let your assigned counselor know, and we'll accommodate you to the best of our ability. All you need is a smartphone (or similar device), internet connection, and a private location.
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.