VA to Open 28 New Vet Centers for Mental Health Counseling

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, recently announced that the VA will open 28 new vet centers in 2010.

Vet centers were originally established in 1976 in an effort to aid Vietnam veterans with readjustment problems. There are currently 232 centers in place and combat veterans and their family members are entitled to take advantage of services such as:

• Counseling on employment, family, and education issues
• Bereavement counseling
• Counseling for veterans who have been victims of sexual harassment

There are centers located in every state, and in 2008 more than 167,000 veterans and their families took advantage of this benefit offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

According to military.com, new centers will be opened in the following communities:

American Samoa
Arizona -- Mohave and Yuma Counties
California -- San Luis Obispo County
Delaware -- Sussex County
Florida -- Marion, Lake, Collier, Okaloosa and Bay Counties
Georgia -- Muscogee and Richmond Counties
Hawaii -- Western Oahu
Indiana -- St. Joseph County
Louisiana -- Rapides Parish
Michigan -- Grand Traverse County, also serving Wexford County
Missouri -- Boone County
Montana -- Cascade and Flathead Counties
Ohio -- Stark County
Oregon -- Deschutes County
Pennsylvania -- Lancaster County
South Carolina -- Horry County
Texas -- Jefferson and Taylor Counties
Utah -- Washington County
Washington -- Walla Walla County, also serving Umatilla County, Oregon
Wisconsin -- LaCrosse County, also serving Monroe County

Benefits like the services offered at vet centers, and compensation for certain disabilities, are owed to qualifying veterans. If you need help fighting for your veterans' disability compensation do not hesitate to contact an attorney at LaVan & Neidenberg today.