Immediate Help: The Veterans Crisis Line

The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans and their families with caring, qualified responders — many of them veterans themselves. Dial 988 then press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care or registered with the VA to use it. All veterans can also receive free emergency suicide-related care at any facility, VA or non-VA, under the COMPACT Act.

Georgia State Mental Health Programs

Georgia Crisis & Access Line (GCAL)

GCAL — 1-800-715-4225, available 24/7 — is Georgia's statewide line for mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services, run by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). Unlike a pure crisis line, GCAL can also schedule routine appointments at state-funded community providers and dispatch mobile crisis teams anywhere in Georgia. Veterans can use it regardless of VA enrollment; for the veteran-specific crisis line, dial 988 then press 1.

Community Service Boards

Georgia's community service boards (CSBs) deliver publicly funded outpatient mental health and addiction treatment across the state on a sliding scale — an important option for veterans in south and rural Georgia who live far from the VA medical centers in Atlanta, Augusta, and Dublin. GCAL can book a CSB appointment directly.

Georgia Department of Veterans Service Field Offices

GDVS operates field offices across Georgia with trained veterans service officers who file VA claims free of charge — including PTSD and other mental health service-connection claims — and connect veterans to VA health care enrollment and community resources. Find your nearest office at veterans.georgia.gov.

Military Communities

Georgia's large active-duty footprint (Fort Stewart, Fort Eisenhower, Fort Moore, Robins AFB, Kings Bay) means many communities have both military family life counselors and veteran-heavy Vet Centers — Atlanta, Marietta, Savannah, Columbus, Macon, and Augusta all have Vet Centers offering free counseling with no enrollment.

VA Mental Health Services in Georgia

VA mental health care in Georgia is delivered through Atlanta VA Health Care System and the state's network of 20+ community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). Services include:

• Individual and group therapy for depression, anxiety, and adjustment challenges
• Evidence-based PTSD treatment including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and EMDR
• Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment — outpatient counseling, intensive programs, and medication-assisted treatment
• Medication management with VA psychiatrists and mental health providers
• Telehealth appointments so veterans in rural Georgia can get care without long drives

Enrolled veterans can request a mental health appointment through their primary care team, by calling their VA facility directly, or via My HealtheVet secure messaging. Same-day mental health access is available at VA medical centers for urgent needs.

VA Facilities Serving Georgia Veterans

• Atlanta VA Health Care System
• Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center (Augusta)
• Carl Vinson VA Medical Center (Dublin)

Vet Centers: Free Counseling, No Enrollment Needed

Vet Centers provide free, confidential readjustment counseling to combat veterans, survivors of military sexual trauma, and their families — completely separate from VA medical records and with no enrollment requirement. Counseling covers PTSD, grief, military sexual trauma, and transition stress. Find your nearest Georgia Vet Center at va.gov/find-locations (choose "Vet Centers"), or call 1-877-927-8387 (the 24/7 Vet Center Call Center) any time.

Substance Use and Recovery Support

VA substance use programs in Georgia range from outpatient counseling to residential rehabilitation treatment programs (RRTPs). Veterans can self-refer — you do not need to wait for a provider to bring it up. SAMHSA's National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is another free, confidential, 24/7 referral line that covers community treatment options throughout Georgia.

Getting Started

• In crisis: Dial 988, then press 1 — available 24/7, no enrollment required
• Need an appointment, not just a hotline: GCAL (1-800-715-4225) can schedule community mental health appointments and dispatch mobile crisis teams statewide
• Claims help: GDVS field offices file mental health service-connection claims free — veterans.georgia.gov
• Enrolled in VA care: Call Atlanta VA Health Care System and ask for a same-day mental health appointment
• Not enrolled: Contact your nearest Vet Center (1-877-927-8387) for free counseling, or apply for VA health care at VA.gov or 1-877-222-8387
• State help: Contact the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) for local referrals and peer support programs