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Free and Low-Cost Counseling for Veterans and Active-Duty Military Service Members

Mental health care is important for everyone, but it’s especially important if you’re a veteran or active-duty member of the military.

Trauma can have a huge negative impact on your quality of life if it goes untreated. Fortunately, in the last few decades, there’s been a huge improvement in trauma-informed health care and many evidence-based therapy methods for trauma now exist. Thanks to these developments, it’s increasingly possible to recover from trauma and enjoy your life to the fullest.

But even if you don’t have a trauma-related condition, you can benefit from addressing your mental health. Being in the military—or readjusting to civilian life after serving—can put a lot of stress on your relationships. (We’ve got a whole other article on marriage counseling for veterans. Click here to read it.) It can also affect your life in countless other ways.

The good news is that there are many free or affordable mental health resources for veterans and active-duty military members.

Veterans' Mental Health Care Statistics

Since the mid-2000s, veterans have been seeking counseling and other mental health services in greater numbers.

For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported a 40 percent increase in the number of veterans seeking mental health care at the Greater Los Angeles VA Health System from 2007 to 2013. This statistic was in keeping with the national trend of increased demand for VA services that led to the 2014 wait list scandal at the VA.

Since then, wait times have improved even as demand for mental and general healthcare services at the VA continues to rise.

Sadly, even though VA response times have improved in the last decade, many veterans still don’t get the care they need. At OpenCounseling, we want to help change this by increasing awareness of the variety of counseling options available for active-duty military service members and veterans. Read on to learn about the many different options you have for affordable care if you’ve served our country.

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Counseling for Active-Duty Members

Special counseling options are available if you’re an active-duty service member or a veteran who’s been discharged from the military in the last year. (These options are also available to your family members.)

Department of Defense Programs

Military OneSource and Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) are DoD programs that provide free non-medical counseling for service members and their family members.

Through these programs, licensed counselors provide short-term face-to-face, telephone, or online counseling to address specific life issues. These services are limited to 12 free sessions per issue.

Research shows that these programs successfully reduce anxiety and stress for military members and their families and improve relationship outcomes. Unfortunately, these services are only available to you for the first 365 days after your (or your loved one’s) service has ended.

Active-duty service members can receive counseling services from several additional sources as well. Installation chaplains provide pastoral counseling at military bases and combat stress control teams are made up of mental health professionals who provide mental health interventions in the field.

TRICARE covers counseling services at military treatment facilities as well as civilian mental health programs that accept TRICARE. It’s important to note that TRICARE only covers services that fall under the definition of medical counseling, or counseling for the purpose of treating one or more diagnosed mental health conditions.

Counseling At The VA

If you're a veteran with a diagnosed mental health condition, you have many options for mental health care at the VA.

The VA offers mental health treatment in many different settings, ranging from inpatient mental health care at VA hospitals to weekly outpatient therapy sessions at VA clinics or over the phone using VA telehealth services.

If you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition or think you may have one and would like to be evaluated, you can use the facility locators on the VA Mental Health and Get Help pages.

You can also use the Make the Connection Resource Locator to find counseling programs run by the VA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or other national organizations.

It can be trickier to get mental health care through the VA if you don’t have a diagnosed mental health condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). It’s not impossible, however.

The VA's Vet Centers

Since 1979, the VA has operated community-based counseling centers called Vet Centers that provide readjustment counseling for veterans who have served in a combat zone or who have been exposed to other kinds of military trauma. You can read the full list of criteria for Vet Center eligibility here  and search for your nearest Vet Center here.

Counseling Outside of the VA

Some veterans choose to seek services outside of the VA. You might be wondering yourself if it’s your only option. We’re here to help. The VA is a great resource for many, but it’s far from the only way to get affordable veterans’ mental health services.

When Might You Want to Go Outside of the VA for Help?

Reasons you might choose to seek veterans’ mental health services somewhere other than the VA include:

  • You don’t qualify for VA services or otherwise can’t get into the VA.
  • You don’t meet specific criteria for the mental health help available at the VA.
  • You don’t live close to a VA facility and prefer in-person counseling to VA Telehealth Services.
  • You have options available that make it possible to be seen faster outside of the VA than inside of it.
  • You feel more comfortable seeking care outside of the VA due to concerns about confidentiality or for other personal reasons.

Fortunately, if you need or prefer non-VA mental health services, you have many options. One is to use insurance to access services outside of the VA.

Retired veterans with diagnosed mental health conditions who have TRICARE can use it to access mental health services at any program or provider that accepts TRICARE.

If you’re a veteran who has private insurance through an employer, a spouse, or another source, you can choose a mental health provider who accepts that insurance plan.

If you don’t have or want to use insurance, there are also many organizations that offer free or low-cost counseling to veterans regardless of insurance coverage.

The Cohen Veterans Network

One option that’s gotten a lot of press is the Cohen Veterans Network. This network of clinics offers free and low-cost counseling to veterans at a growing number of locations across the country.

Cohen clinics guarantee immediate appointments for any veterans who are in crisis and serve any veterans regardless of how long or where you served or how you were discharged.

Currently, there are Cohen Veterans Network locations in the following states:

  • Alaska
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • Maryland
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Washington

The Cohen Veterans Network plans to open more locations over time and also offers telehealth services to veterans who cannot access a clinic.

Cohen Veterans Network clinics are not the only option for non-VA veteran mental health care, however. Other national organizations offer free or low-cost counseling to veterans. Some provide referrals, some provide financial assistance or scholarship, and some provide services directly.

Other Veterans' Mental Health Organizations

Organizations that provide counseling and other community support for veterans seeking mental health care include:

  • The American Red Cross provides information and referral services to connect veterans with free or low-cost local mental health services. They also make emergency referrals for veterans who reach out via their Hero Care app or who call their crisis line (877-272-7337).
  • The Camaraderie Foundation provides scholarships for free counseling to post-9/11 military veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. To access this program, you need to complete a free scholarship application form on the foundation’s website.
  • Give an Hour is a volunteer program that links licensed therapists with veterans, military families, and trauma survivors who need free individual, couples, or family counseling. The hour-long counseling sessions are provided once a week for at least one year.
  • Project Headstrong provides free mental health treatment for veterans and their families at a growing number of locations nationwide. Currently, Headstrong has offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, DC.

If you’re open to non-traditional treatment methods, you have many unique programs to choose from. One option is Project Welcome Home Troops, which runs free Power Breath Meditation Workshops that teach effective stress-management techniques. Reboot Combat Recovery offers a free 12-week faith-based trauma healing course.

Free wilderness therapy programs for veterans include the hiking-focused Huts for Vets, No Barriers, and Warrior Expeditions programs, as well as Project Healing Waters, which offers free fly-fishing retreats for disabled veterans.

Crisis Resources for Veterans

If you’re a veteran or active-duty service member who is in crisis, please reach out. There are many ways to get the help you need. One option for quick access to emergency care is to call a local mental health crisis line. Just go to our state services page, select your state, and figure out which number you should use based on where you live. There are also mental health crisis hotlines specifically for veterans.

Crisis Hotlines for Veterans

  • The Veterans Crisis Line. Call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. This 24/7 hotline connects you and your family members with the caring mental health crisis response team at the VA.
    • The service can also be reached by texting 838255 or via online chat on the hotline’s website. Just like the phone hotline, The crisis chat and hotline are anonymous and confidential.
  • Vets4Warriors. Call 1-855-838-8255. This hotline is a great option if you want to speak to a peer who understands what you’ve been through.
  • The Hero Care Program. Call 1-877-272-7337. This hotline is run by The Red Cross and can help connect you with emergency mental health services as well as other resources and referrals you may need in an emergency.

Whether you need inpatient or outpatient treatment, crisis lines will help link you with the right level of care. The people who answer these hotlines are trained to understand your circumstances and to offer compassionate, confidential support.

Location-Specific Specialty Mental Health Care

In addition to national organizations that serve veterans, you may have a local organization where you can receive mental health services or support.

Many of these local programs were founded because the parent organization was located near a military base or in an area where many veterans live.

Local Veterans' Mental Health Programs

The following list includes special local programs that offer free or low-cost counseling to veterans. This list is not exhaustive and there may be other specialty programs near you.

West Coast

Midwest

Texas

Southeast

Northeast

Many of these programs were established by or in partnership with state veterans’ departments. These state agencies work closely with but are independent of federal VA departments.

Some state veterans’ departments offer special state-funded veterans’ mental health programs like the Veterans’ Outreach Centers in Massachusetts and the Military Support Program in Connecticut. They also provide assistance to veterans who need help accessing VA benefits and services.

State Veterans' Departments List

State veterans’ departments help connect you with resources you’re eligible to use and benefits that you’ve earned. Contact information for each state’s veterans’ department is listed below.

You can call or explore the website for your state’s department to learn whether there are special opportunities or services for veterans in your state.

Contact Information for Your State

Veterans’ departments in some states like Vermont collaborate with state mental health agencies and community mental health programs to provide free or low-cost care to veterans.

You can call your county’s mental health crisis or information line to find out if your county provides veteran-specific services or if you are otherwise eligible for public mental health services in your state.

You can also inquire at your local VA, peer-run veterans’ organization, or chapter of the United Way to find out if there are unique veterans’ programs that serve your area.

If you’re interested in faith-based therapy, many local and national non-profits offer faith-based programs, and free pastoral counseling may also be available at local churches and religious organizations.

Why Are More Service Members and Veterans Seeking Counseling?

If you’re a veteran or an active-duty service member in need of mental health services or support, you’re not alone. More and more military members are recognizing that it’s possible to heal from the invisible wounds of trauma. Improvements in evidence-based care, as well as reduced stigma, are changing the game when it comes to mental health care for veterans.

Mental Health Statistics for Post-9/11 Veterans

Research shows that post-9/11 veterans seek mental health care sooner than their peers. Due to the long duration of post-9/11 military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, longer deployment periods, and higher rates of redeployment than in earlier conflicts, post-9/11 veterans have high rates of mental health complications.

If you served after 9/11, you have an 18 percent higher survival rate than veterans of earlier wars, in part because you and your peers have survived severe physical injuries in greater numbers than soldiers of earlier wars.

Many post-9/11 veterans come home with “polytrauma,” or traumatic brain injury (TBI) compounded by other physical and psychological trauma. Getting mental health care is essential when you’re recovering from this kind of complex trauma.

It isn’t just newer veterans experiencing rising rates of trauma-related conditions, however—research shows that all combat veterans have high rates of mental health issues in later life, and increased awareness has increased rates of diagnosis and treatment.

One of the biggest reasons more veterans are seeking help is that society has changed and therapy is no longer stigmatized. We’re starting to understand that mental health care is as normal and essential as regular medical care. This is important, because far too many soldiers have suffered throughout their lives from the psychological impacts of war—which are now treatable.

Veterans of all wars have come home bearing the invisible wounds of war trauma. Since World War I, psychologists’ understanding of trauma-related conditions has steadily improved, and more and more counselors and mental health programs are offering effective trauma-informed care, from the VA to veteran-focused programs at civilian-run mental health organizations.

Conclusion

Sometimes, the biggest barriers to counseling are geographic. When the closest provider is a long drive away, commute time and fuel expenses can render counseling difficult, if not impossible to access. If you’re a veteran, whether you have many or few local resources depends a lot on where you live.

When geographic barriers are an issue, online counseling is a great option. In addition to telehealth services available at the VA and organizations like the Cohen Veterans Network, you can get affordable online counseling from BetterHelp (a sponsor).

If you’re an active-duty military service member, a veteran, or a military family member, you don’t have to face life’s challenges alone. Help is closer and more accessible than you think. With the right support, you can get through life’s challenges, heal from stress and trauma, and build the life you deserve.

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Stephanie Hairston

Stephanie Hairston is a freelance mental health writer who spent several years in the field of adult mental health before transitioning to professional writing and editing. As a clinical social worker, she provided group and individual therapy, crisis intervention services, and psychological assessments.

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