Complete guide to veteran mental health care in Virginia. VA mental health services, Vet Centers, PTSD treatment, Virginia-specific state programs, and the Veterans Crisis Line.
Virginia is home to approximately 700,000 veterans, and mental health support is one of the most important — and most underused — benefits available to them. Whether you're dealing with PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use, or the stress of transitioning to civilian life, Virginia veterans have access to free and low-cost care through the VA, Vet Centers, and programs the state itself runs. Virginia funds its own behavioral health program for veterans: Virginia Veteran and Family Support (VVFS) provides free peer and family support, care coordination, and connection to behavioral health services in every region of the commonwealth.
This guide explains every major mental health resource available to Virginia veterans — federal and state — including what each program covers, who qualifies, and exactly who to call first. If you are in crisis right now, call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1, text 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. It's free, confidential, and available 24/7 — no VA enrollment required.
Virginia Department of Veterans Services is the fastest first call for veteran mental health help in Virginia.
In a crisis? Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or text 838255. Available 24/7.
38 verified mental health resources serving Virginia. Crisis and fastest-path options are listed first.
VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) options for Alexandria, VA veterans.
CBOCs deliver primary care, mental health, and select specialty services closer to home than the parent VA medical center.
Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility serving Alexandria, VA veterans with primary care, mental health, and specialty services.
Use the VA find-locations tool to confirm hours, services, and the closest clinic.
VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) options for Arlington, VA veterans.
CBOCs deliver primary care, mental health, and select specialty services closer to home than the parent VA medical center.
Dial 2-1-1 or search 211.org for Roanoke-area emergency shelter, rent and utility assistance, and homeless veteran outreach.
Local 2-1-1 specialists screen for veteran-specific programs (HUD-VASH, SSVF, GPD) and connect callers to the nearest intake point.
Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility serving Chesapeake, VA veterans with primary care, mental health, and specialty services.
Use the VA find-locations tool to confirm hours, services, and the closest clinic.
Dial 2-1-1 or search 211.org for Newport News-area emergency shelter, rent and utility assistance, and homeless veteran outreach.
Local 2-1-1 specialists screen for veteran-specific programs (HUD-VASH, SSVF, GPD) and connect callers to the nearest intake point.
Dial 2-1-1 or search 211.org for Alexandria-area emergency shelter, rent and utility assistance, and homeless veteran outreach.
Local 2-1-1 specialists screen for veteran-specific programs (HUD-VASH, SSVF, GPD) and connect callers to the nearest intake point.
Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility serving Virginia Beach, VA veterans with primary care, mental health, and specialty services.
Use the VA find-locations tool to confirm hours, services, and the closest clinic.
Apply for VA health care to access primary, specialty, and mental health services at VA facilities serving Virginia.
Most veterans with qualifying service and an other-than-dishonorable discharge are eligible.
Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility serving Roanoke, VA veterans with primary care, mental health, and specialty services.
Use the VA find-locations tool to confirm hours, services, and the closest clinic.
Dial 2-1-1 or search 211.org for Chesapeake-area emergency shelter, rent and utility assistance, and homeless veteran outreach.
Local 2-1-1 specialists screen for veteran-specific programs (HUD-VASH, SSVF, GPD) and connect callers to the nearest intake point.
Community-based VA Vet Center serving Chesapeake area combat veterans and their families with free counseling, readjustment services, and bereavement support.
Vet Centers are independent of VA medical facilities and confidential.
Community-based VA Vet Center serving Virginia Beach area combat veterans and their families with free counseling, readjustment services, and bereavement support.
Vet Centers are independent of VA medical facilities and confidential.
How each program works, who qualifies, and how state and federal help fit together.
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.
VVFS is the Virginia Department of Veterans Services' behavioral health and supportive services program — state-funded and free. VVFS staff provide peer support, care coordination, and warm connections to behavioral health care, substance use treatment, housing help, and benefits for veterans, service members, and their families across every region of Virginia. No VA enrollment is required, and family members can call on a veteran's behalf. Reach VVFS at (804) 371-4675 or toll-free 1-877-285-1299, or through any DVS benefits office (dvs.virginia.gov).
Virginia's 40 community services boards (CSBs) provide publicly funded mental health, substance use, and crisis services in every city and county — sliding-scale, no VA enrollment needed. VVFS care coordinators frequently work hand-in-hand with CSBs, so starting with either gets you to the same network.
DVS operates benefits offices throughout the commonwealth with accredited representatives who file VA claims free of charge, including PTSD and MST-related service-connection claims. With Virginia's dense military footprint — the Pentagon, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Quantico, Fort Belvoir — many offices sit close to where veterans and transitioning service members actually live.
Vet Centers in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Alexandria, Richmond, Roanoke, and Danville offer free readjustment counseling with no enrollment, and the Hampton, Richmond, and Salem VA systems all provide same-day mental health access for urgent needs.
VA mental health care in Virginia is delivered through Central Virginia VA Health Care System (Richmond) and the state's network of 20+ community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). Services include:
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.
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 Virginia 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.
VA substance use programs in Virginia 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 Virginia.
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