CHICO — Each year, the community shows its support and respect to United States veterans through various activities and events.
Along with those events, there is a wealth of services for veterans’ mental health in Chico.
The Chico Vet Center, one of hundreds in the United States, provides multiple transitional mental health services to veterans trying to adjust to life after serving.
The goal of the center is to provide care for readjustment as well as services for military sexual trauma, said L. Robert Snoberger, an outreach coordinator with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We don’t even question it,” Snoberger said, regarding veterans who have dealt with sexual trauma. “If a vet comes in to request services for it there is no questioning it.”
The Chico Vet Center is located at 250 Cohasset Road in Suite 40 and the phone number is 899-6300.
Snoberger said the Vet Center, as well as the greater Office of Veterans’ Affairs, tries to employ veterans to help run support groups to create a peer-to-peer atmosphere.
Veterans in crisis can call the crisis line at 1-800-273-8255, though Snoberger said veterans who aren’t as comfortable calling the line are always welcome to come directly to the Chico Vet Center building.
Support groups for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have multiple meetings at the center, including the first and second Mondays of each month at 10 a.m. as well as 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. and 1 a.m. each Thursday.
“Chico has an abundance of services for veterans,” Snoberger said.
A support group is also available for spouses of military veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder every second Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m.
Veterans can also seek help with addiction services and therapy by walking into the Chico VA Clinic at 1601 Concord Avenue, said Debi Bruner, a nurse manager for the Chico and Redding clinics.
Services
The Vet Center hosts a number of specialty groups to help veterans cope. The following are some of the regular groups offered:
PTSD support groups
10 a.m. on the second and fourth Monday each month
4:30 p.m. Wednesday
10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday
Women veterans’ group
10 a.m. Monday
Coping and wellness skills for PTSD
4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Spouse group
10 a.m. on the second Tuesday each month
Guitar group
2 p.m. Wednesday
Spirituality group
10 a.m. Thursday
“Cup of Joe” processing group, an open-topic forum group
9 a.m. Friday
Anger management
10:30 a.m. Friday
Tai Chi class
11 a.m. Wednesday
Art group
10 a.m. Monday
