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Background of READJUSTMENT COUNSELING SERVICE
In the years following the end of the Vietnam War it became increasingly clear that some Veterans experienced difficulties with readjusting to civilian life...
These Veterans worked together to establish informal groups to assist each other with readjustment...
In 1979 Congress instituted formal Vet Centers to reach out to those Veterans who needed help and were reluctant to seek it from more traditional sources...
In 1991, legislation extended eligibility for counseling to combat Veterans in post-Vietnam era conflicts, including the Persian Gulf, Panama, Grenada, and Lebanon...
Since that time our mission has expanded to include all Veterans who served in a combat zone...
The Women Veterans Health Program Act of 1992 authorizes counseling for men and women Veterans who have experienced acts of sexual violence of harassment while on active duty...
Vet Centers are community based and part of the Department of Veterans Affairs...
The goal of the Vet Center program is to provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to eligible Veterans in order to help them make a satisfying post-combat adjustment...
SERVICES PROVIDED
Vet Centers offer free services to eligible Veterans and their families. These services include:
- Individual Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Alcohol/Drug Assessment
- Benefits Information
- Bereavement Counseling
- Community Education
- Couple and Family Counseling
- Employment Counseling
- Job Referral
- Liaison with VA Facilities
- Referral to Community Agencies
- Sexual Trauma Counseling
- Spouse/Significant Other Support
CONFIDENTIALITY & PRIVACY
Vet Center Staff respect the privacy of all Veterans...
We hold in the strictest confidence all information disclosed during the counseling process...
No information will be communicated to any non-VA person or agency without written consent from the Veteran except in the following circumstances:
- To avert a crisis, if orderd by a court of law, or
- If current abuses of children are involved...
ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICES
All Veterans who participated in theater during the following conflict eras:
- WII: 9/16/40 - 7/25/47
- Korea: 6/26/50 - 1/32/55
- Vietnam: 8/5/61 - 5/7/75
- Lebanon: 8/25/82 - 2/26/84
- Granada: 10/23/83 - 11/21/83
- Panama: 12/20/89 - 1/30/90
- Persian Gulf: 8/2/90 - Present
- Somalia: 9/17/92 - Present
- Former Yugoslavian Operations:
- Operation Joint Endeavor, Joint Guard, Joint Forge
- Global War on Terrorism:9/11/01 - Present
ADDITIONAL ELIGILBILITY
- All Veterans who that experienced sexual trauma while on active duty...
- Family members of service men and women who died while on active duty...
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT A VET CENTER.
Listed below are the Chicagoland Vet Centers:
Chicago Heights Vet Center: 1600 Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60411, 708-754-0340
Chicago Veterans Resource Center: 7731 South Halsted, Chicago, IL 60620, 773-962-3740
DuPage County Vet Center: 750 Shoreline Drive, Ste. 150, Aurora, IL 60504, 708-516-7529
Evanston Vet Center: 565 Howard Street, Evanston, IL 60202, 847-332-1019
Merrillville Vet Center: 6505 Broadway Street, Merrillville, IN 46410, 219-754-5633
Oak Park Vet Center: 155 South Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302, 708-383-3225
Orland Park Vet Center: 8651 West 159th Street, Ste. 1, Orland Park, IL 60643, 773-429-8950
Rockford Outstation: 2015 Rote Road, #105, Rockford, IL 61107, 815-395-1276
www.vetcenter.va.gov
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