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Milwaukee Vet Center

Small group of diverse Veterans talking and smiling with a Vet center counselor, American flag in the background.

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

5586 South Washington Drive
Domiciliary Building 123
Milwaukee, WI 53295

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
Milwaukee Vet Center is temporarily located at 5586 South Washington Drive, Domiciliary 123, Milwaukee, WI 53295

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? Stop by during our office hours or give us a call and let's discuss how we can help. Walk-in, same-day services are available. Call for details. Non-traditional hours are available by appointment. We currently require masks while inside the building.

Please call 414-434-1311 to speak with a team member. They can help you with scheduling an appointment, answering any questions you may have, or providing an appropriate referral.

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 DD 214)
  • 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, please let us know and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and also answer any questions you might have.

There's a large parking lot outside our office. We have accessible spaces near our entrance. You can park in any available space. 

We're accessible by public transit through Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS). Bus Route 76 has a stop right at the entrance to our parking lot. 

Get more information and find schedules on MCTS

Learn more about the Veterans Transportation Program

In the spotlight

New Vet Centers and Satellite Locations Announced

Learn how the Vet Center can help you

Counseling services

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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.

We have counselors on-site to offer family and couples counseling. We offer the following specialty care:

  • Couples counseling and support
  • Spouse and significant other groups

If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.

We offer the following specialty care:

  • Bereavement counseling for families who lost a service member on active duty
  • Bereavement counseling for families who lost a service member or Veteran who was receiving Vet Center services at their time of 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 commonly address the following concerns:

  • Anxiety or stress reactions, like PTSD
  • Depression or lack of motivation
  • Sleep difficulties, including sleep problems caused by shift work
  • Anger, aggressive behavior, and reckless behaviors
  • Overuse of alcohol or drugs
  • Difficulties adjusting to civilian life following a deployment or activation

Here are some of the evidence-based treatments we offer:

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Prolonged Exposure (PE)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Motivational Interviewing and Relapse Prevention
  • Adaptive Disclosure for Moral Injury

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. We have male and female counselors available based on your preference.

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 concerns and get back on track. Asking for help takes courage. We provide the private, comfortable setting with expert counselors to help you take that next step.

Here are some of the evidence-based treatments we offer:

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Prolonged Exposure (PE)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Motivational Interviewing and Relapse Prevention

Learn more about PTSD

Find out about treatment options

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 education and connection for tasks such as these: 

  • Enrollment in VA health care benefits
  • Filing a military-related disability claim
  • Connection to 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.

We understand the unique experiences and needs of women Veterans. We'll match you with a counselor that fits with your preference, and can help you connect with women's health at our local VA Medical Center. 

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 have specially trained counselors on staff to support your needs. We can facilitate inpatient treatment if necessary. We can also provide referrals to VA and local community counseling 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.

Our primary focus is your safety. If you feel hopeless, suicidal, or in need of crisis care, just let your counselor know so you can work together to help you feel safer and more optimistic about your future. Should you need the Veterans Crisis Line, just dial 988. In addition to calling them, you can also reach them via confidential chat at Veterans Crisis Line or text to 838255. 

We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.

We can help you know where to go and how to register for these tasks:

We may also connect you with state and county benefits assistance through local Veterans Service Organizations.

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 support Veterans and service members through partnerships with local nonprofits, universities, businesses, military installations, and National Guard Armories. If you or your organization would like to learn about ways to partner with us, please call for more information.

We also provide referrals to your local County Veterans Service Officer and Veterans Service Organizations in the community.

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? COVID concerns? Don't have time for Milwaukee traffic? We get it. We have easy-to-use telehealth platforms that allow us to provide you with our same high-quality services virtually. All you need is a smartphone or similar device, an 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: 

  • 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 (TTY:711). We’re here 24/7.

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.