Lancaster 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 8:00 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 717-283-0735 for assistance with scheduling an appointment and for any questions that you may have.
Same-day services are available. Call for details.
Non-traditional hours are available by appointment.
We’re located in Suite 207 next to a large water fountain, with ample parking throughout our office space. Parking is free and all visitors are welcome to use any available space.
The main entrance is accessible.
We’re accessible via public transportation, provided by Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA). The Route 20 bus services the Greenfield Corporate Center where our office is located.
Route-20-all-1-4-2021.pdf (redrosetransit.com)
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 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, 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.
Veteran's Guitar Group
Veteran guitar group meeting Thursdays at the Lancaster Vet Center from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.
New G4V group starting March 20th 2025
Contact Lancaster Vet Center to sign up
Hiking Group
Lancaster Vet Center Hiking Group offered every Friday from 1430-1600
Location: Lancaster Junction Recreation Trail
99 Champ Blvd, Manheim, PA 17545
Questions:
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We also provide education for family members and loved ones, highlighting common challenges within the Veteran community, and how they can be supportive of their Veteran or service member’s readjustment to civilian life.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
If you’re a Gold Star family member, we’re here for you, no matter how distant or recent your loss.
We respond to referrals from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) to provide support to family members affected by the loss of a service member. Learn more about the mission of TAPS
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 both individual and group counseling and commonly address these concerns:
- Anxiety or stress reactions, like PTSD
- Depression or lack of motivation
- Grief
- Sleep difficulties
- Anger or aggressive behavior
- Impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors
- Addictions
- Difficulties adjusting to civilian life after a military trauma
The group we currently offer is:
- Readjustment support group
Some of the evidence-based treatments our providers offer are:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
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 have both male and female counselors who are equipped to facilitate your healing journey after experiencing a military sexual trauma.
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, motivation, or mood, or just feeling unlike yourself following a major event or critical incident, we can 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.
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.
Transitioning after your military service can come with a variety of challenges, and we’re here to help. Navigating the VA system and other benefits alone can be overwhelming. We can point you toward helpful resources in your area. The following county-based offices can provide you with benefits assistance, and they have certified Veterans Service Officers to help guide you through the process:
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 the Lebanon and Coatesville VA Medical Centers to provide referral to their inpatient and outpatient substance use programs.
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.
The following county-based offices can provide you with benefits assistance, and they have certified Veterans Service Officers to help guide you through the process:
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.
If you or your organization would like to learn about working with Veterans and military culture and how you can help support the Veteran community, we can provide individual or education briefings. Give us a call for more information.
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
-
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.