North Bay Vet Center | Veterans Affairs

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, post traumatic

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.

We also have non-traditional hours that change periodically given our community’s needs. Please call us to find out more.

Our call center is available 24/7. Call us anytime at 877-927-8387.

To make an appointment at the North Bay Vet Center, Veterans can

A staff member will assist the Veteran to meet their appointment needs and connect them to a counselor if needed.

Parking is free and can be found all around the office park. There are ramps for wheelchairs and walkers. If you get lost you can always call the main number and a staff member can guide you

in.

You do not need to be registered for care at VA, rated for a service connected disability, or receiving any other form of VA benefits. On your first visit, we will look for one or more of

the following:

If you don’t have these documents on-hand, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and also answer any questions you might have.

Sonoma County Transit 44 and 48 busses stop near the North Bay Vet Center at

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. 

Join our fishing group and experience ocean fishing and/or crabbing on the first and third Fridays of each month. Call for details and to RSVP. Depending on location, fishing license may be

required.

We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.

Trained staff at the North Bay Vet Center provide both couples and family counseling when appropriate for Veterans and their families. We understand that military service affects more than

just the Veteran, and we are prepared to help the family as well.

If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.

The North Bay Vet Center offers individual bereavement counseling. Our counselors will help you to manage these feelings and find healthy ways to grieve and cope.

Bereavement counseling includes a broad range of transition services, including outreach, counseling, and referral services to family members.

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.

At the North Bay Vet Center, we are here to listen. Everyone has their own unique experience in the military and we want to hear about it, both the good and the bad. Many Veterans find it

difficult to speak about some of their experiences in the military, but we believe that talking through them and even doing trauma work will make your life better, not worse. We have a staff

made up of Veterans and civilians with strong connections to the military who "get it." If you feel like you've been carrying around thoughts, feelings, and memories that you have not been

able to discuss with anyone else, the North Bay Vet Center is the place you can discuss those things.

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 anyone from any service era.

If you're having difficulties related to MST (Military Sexual Trauma), we're here to support you in whatever way will help you best.

We can provide treatment that helps you cope with how MST is impacting your life.

Or if you'd prefer, we can provide treatment that involves discussing your experiences in more depth.

Counselors at the North Bay Vet Center can provide EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy to help alleviate the feelings one carries after suffering MST. EMDR is

preferred by many Veterans because it does not involve sharing all the details or "talking through" one's incident/s. For more information on EMDR, click here. 

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.

PTSD, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, affects many military Veterans. After a Veteran is connected with a counselor, they will be screened for PTSD. Veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD will

be treated by a counselor that will help the Veteran alleviate symptoms such as avoiding groups or crowds, becoming overly startled from loud noises, and dealing with disturbing memories of

military service that show up.

Counselors at the North Bay are trained in EMDR ( Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to lower symptoms of PTSD. This modality of therapy does not require the Veteran to go into

detail or talk through their traumatic incidents, so it is a highly preferred method for many Vets. 

We also use ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) to help our Veterans observe their thoughts and feelings and make choices based on their values, which is helpful to make the best choices for

when one is experiencing PTSD symptoms.

Groups such as the Writing Group help Veterans express and process their experiences through writing. In groups like the Symptom Management Group and the Vietnam Veterans Group, Veterans

will find community and camaraderie as they share their experiences with others. Oftentimes, group members find that others among them are experiencing similar things. Counselors teach

practical skills for how to deal with PTSD symptoms.

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.

Whole health puts you—instead of your illnesses or conditions—at the center of care. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals.

Join our Fishing Group on the 1st and 3rd Fridays each month. The North Bay Vet Center Fishing Group is for the beginner through the experienced angler. We meet at piers, beaches, and lakes

around the North Bay to fish and socialize with other Veterans. Transportation from the Vet Center is provided upon request. For more information about this group and the schedule, please

call our main number at .

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.

Counselors at the North Bay Vet Center will assess Veterans for addiction and substance use and offer the appropriate referral and/or discuss this as part of a Veteran's treatment plan.

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.

Veterans struggling with suicidal thoughts are welcome here at the North Bay Vet Center. For Veterans who are worried they will act on these thoughts, staff is available to help you get the

immediate help you need. Many times, Vet Center staff work with a local VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator to ensure you get the care you need so no one slips through the cracks. 

We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.

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.

North Bay Vet Center supports local Veterans through partnerships with government and community agencies, including:

We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.

Many Veterans live far from the North Bay Vet Center or simply live a lifestyle that makes telehealth - also known as virtual appointments - convenient and desirable. Counselors at the North

Bay Vet Center can meet by telephone or video with Veterans in a safe and confidential setting.

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:

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:

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:

The Veteran or service member died while serving on active duty, or

The Veteran was using Vet Center services at the time of their death, or

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.

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.

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: 

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: 

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: 

The Veteran or service member died while serving on active duty, or

The Veteran was using Vet Center services at the time of their death, or

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.

Our confidential call center is staffed by combat Veterans from several eras and family members of Veterans.