Lincoln 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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Feel free to stop by during business hours for information on how we can help. We also offer some same-day services.
To schedule an appointment with one of our counselors, call us at 402-327-9727.
Services are available in-person or via telehealth.
Parking is available on the north side of the building.
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 to be seen at the Vet Center. On your first visit, we’ll ask for one or more of the following:
- Discharge documents, such as a DD214
- Receipt of certain awards
- Deployment orders
- Other documents that show eligibility related to military service
Request your military service records
If you don’t have these documents available, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and answer questions you have.
Public transportation to the Vet Center is accessible through StarTran bus routes with stops near 84th and "O" Street. We’re located 1 to 2 blocks south.
- #44 - "O" Street Weekday with nearest stop at "O" and Cherry Hill Boulevard
- #42 - Bethany Weekday with nearest stop at 84th Street and Blue Sky Drive or College Park
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 have a range of groups and are often adding new options. Groups are often based on era, similar military experiences, or recreational.
Join us. Call us at
Outreach
We are always participating in events in the community or hosting events at our Lincoln Vet Center.
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Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We have 2 counselors each with years of experience working with couples, during and after military service. All of our counselors regularly provide education to clients and family members regarding military-related issues or post-military readjustment.
In addition, counselors commonly implement concepts from the following therapeutic modalities:
- Family systems
- Gottman Method
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
We offer bereavement counseling to to family members of service members who died while serving on active duty or to family members of Veterans who were receiving services at the time of their death.
We can also provide information on community resources for additional grief or loss support, such as Mourning Hope.
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.
Our counselors provide individual counseling for a variety of needs.
We also offer multiple groups for Veterans across various eras of service and experiences. Group therapy offers connection and support from others who may have similar challenges. Call us to learn about available groups.
Our current groups include:
- Vietnam
- Post-9/11
- Women
- Mixed Eras
- Marines & FMF Corpsman
- First Responders
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 sensitive to the needs of those who have experienced sexual trauma during military service. We have both male and female counselors available with years of direct care experience with MST (Military Sexual Trauma) clients and/or regular consultation with experienced MST counselors.
All counselors have attended and continue to participate in various trainings to learn about providing services to those who have experienced MST.
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 counselors all have specialized training and experience providing trauma-informed and trauma-focused care. We may use the following treatment approaches, among others, through individual, family, or group counseling:
- Education and coping skills development
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
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 there’s a learning curve as you move from military service to civilian life. We’re here to help reduce barriers and provide guidance through this transition.
- Family or couples counseling to address changing roles and responsibilities at home
- Individual counseling to integrate military and civilian experiences
- VA benefits and claim information
- VA medical care
- Education and employment benefits and assistance
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 provide support for substance use. We can help connect you to specific treatment with partnerships through VA Medical Centers in Lincoln, Omaha, and Grand Island.
Other options in the community include, but are not limited to:
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 counselors will work with you to develop plans for safety, reduce symptoms, and make any needed adjustments in care. This may include making additional referrals. We’re here to help you get to the right place and to feel better overall.
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
We can connect you with various Veteran and service member resources in the community, such as these:
- VA benefits and claim information
- VA medical care
- Education and employment benefits and assistance
- Housing assistance
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 engage with various Lincoln and greater Nebraska events and organizations to better serve and refer Veterans and service members. Some of our partners are:
- State and County Veteran Service Offices
- Local VA CBOC
- National Guard and Reserve units
- Military-based organizations at local universities and colleges, such as UN-L Military & Veteran Success Center
- Veteran Treatment Court
Look for the Mobile Vet Center in your community, or give us a call to see where we may be next.
We offer workshops and classes if you want to connect with other Veterans but don't want a group counseling setting.
We offer recreational groups for you to connect with others in a relaxed, peer-focused environment. Current offerings are:
- Strum (guitar at all levels)
- Art (various art projects at all levels)
We can also offer referrals to VA Whole Health.
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.