Lexington 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? Stop by our main location during our regular office hours. Or give us a call at 859-253-0717 to discuss how we can help.
Scheduling an appointment
Please call us during our posted office hours. If you need to call outside of our office hours, on weekends, or holidays, the Vet Center Call Center is available 24/7 at 877-927-8737. Calls to our main number after hours are automatically sent to the Vet Center Call Center.
Many of our services are available by telephone or through telehealth. Services at our community access points are available by appointment only.
Canceling an appointment
If you have a scheduled appointment that you’re unable to attend, please notify us as soon as possible so we can reschedule your appointment and make that time available for another Veteran or service member.
We’re located in the Bakhaus Building, 1500 Leestown Road, Suite 104. Our entrance is at the left end of the building.
We have plenty of free parking in our lot at the front of the Vet Center. Accessible parking is available and clearly marked. We have an accessible entrance ramp and door access for those with mobility issues.
We’re located on the Leestown Road bus route. There's a Lextran stop nearby.
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.
Groups
We offer a variety of groups such as:
- PTSD support
- Women’s support
- Moral injury
- Guitar 4 Vets graduate group
Discuss your goals with your counselor. We’ll work with you to place you in an appropriate group.
Guitars 4 Vets
Find community as you learn to play guitar. Find solace in the songs you love as well as the songs you have yet to write.
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We understand that military service impacts not only Veterans and service members, but also their family members. We provide couples and family counseling specifically focused on supporting the Veteran or service member's successful transition to civilian life. We also offer a group specifically for spouses and significant others of our Veteran clients.
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
We have counselors with specific training and extensive experience in the provision of grief counseling and bereavement support services.
If you or a loved one are in—or may be in—a potentially abusive or violent relationship, we can help.
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.
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 focused on mental health needs. We use a whole health focused approach in everything we do. The following evidence-based therapies are available:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Guided imagery/clinical hypnosis
Our specialty groups include:
- PTSD coping skills
- Military sexual trauma, women’s group
- Military sexual trauma, men’s group
- Moral injury group
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.
Military sexual trauma can happen to both men and women. If you experienced sexual assault or harassment during military service—no matter when or where you served—we provide both individual and group counseling treatment and support. We have both male and female counselors who are experienced and knowledgeable on the needs of those who have experienced military sexual trauma. We also work closely with our local VA military sexual trauma coordinator to help you access available services.
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.
Our staff are all trained to provide assessment, counseling, and support for PTSD. We offer evidence-based therapies, including:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Guided imagery/clinical hypnosis
We also offer several PTSD-focused groups for those we serve.
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.
Sometimes the return to civilian life after military service can be more challenging than expected. We’re here to support you during this important time. Our counselors understand military culture, some of them are Veterans themselves. As a community-based program, we can assist you with both local and VA referrals to support your transition.
Whole health puts you—instead of your illnesses or conditions—at the center of care. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals.
The whole health approach is a part of everything we do. Our goal is to always put you at the center of care.
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 understand the challenges of substance use problems and addiction. We work closely with the following partners to help you access inpatient and outpatient recovery services as well as community support programs and groups:
If you’re homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we can help you connect with resources in your community.
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness are strongly encouraged to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for assistance.
We work closely with the following partners to help you connect with services:
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 for resources can be challenging. Let us help you navigate through and connect with:
- How to activate VA medical benefits and enroll in care
- Where to file disability claims and other forms
- How to access VA burial benefits
We can also connect you to the local Veteran Service Officer in your town.
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. Established local partnerships include:
- National Guard and Reserve units
- State universities and community colleges
- Veterans Service Organizations
- Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs (KDVA)
- Lexington VA Health Care System
We value the role of connecting Veterans with each other. We regularly sponsor and host events to help Veterans and service members meet and connect.
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
We understand that your time is important and that it may be more convenient for you to have a phone or video appointment. Let your assigned counselor know if you need or prefer these appointment options.
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:
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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.