The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center provides high quality, time sensitive mental health services to post-9/11 veterans and their families, regardless of the veteran’s role while in uniform, discharge status, or combat experience. Services are also available for all active-duty family members.
We offer confidential, client-centered therapy for a variety of short-to-medium term mental health issues including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems, and children’s behavioral problems. Our care is centered on quality interventions that work and current best practices available based on research.
In 2016, philanthropist Steven A. Cohen recognized the need for high quality, accessible mental health care for our nation’s service men and women and their loved ones. In that year, he made a long-term commitment to provide that care by establishing the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN); a national network of Cohen Clinics dedicated to ensuring veterans and their families receive the support they need to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
In 2019, CVN partnered with The Up Center, South Hampton Roads’ largest and oldest human services agency, to establish the country’s 12th Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Virginia Beach, VA. For more than 135 years, The Up Center has offered programs and services that change people’s lives by providing comprehensive, integrated behavioral health services for children and families. Now, by joining forces, The Up Center and CVN are on a mission to provide Virginia’s large veteran and family member population with compassionate and effective care to help heal the invisible wounds of war.
—Kyle White, Army Veteran
All post-9/11 veterans, their families, and military family members are eligible for treatment. The Cohen Clinic at The Up Center accepts most major insurances and will work with clients on a case-by-case basis to ensure that any barriers to care are addressed. For those with no insurance, care may be available at no cost. CVN is also contracted with DoD TRICARE and VA as part of the VA community Care Network of providers under the VA Mission Act.
We focus on meeting your needs and improving your quality of life through brief case management and resource connection.
Telehealth is used to deliver face to face therapy online. The Cohen Clinic at The Up Center provides this service over the computer, phone and tablet. Veterans and Military families are provided the same quality of care in the privacy of their own homes through this service.
We prioritize serving post-9/11 veterans, which we define as any person who has served in the United States Armed Services (including the National Guard and Reserves) after September 11, 2001, regardless of role while in uniform, discharge status or combat experience. We define family members as parents, siblings, spouses or partners, children, caretakers and others. Although we make a priority of serving post- 9/11 veterans whose period of service included Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and/or Operation New Dawn, we assess all veterans based on their specific needs and our ability to serve the veteran well.
We strive to ensure the shortest possible wait time between first contact and first appointment. If you are in crisis, our clinic will make a first appointment available on the same day you contact us. If you are in crisis, please call the Cohen Clinic at The Up Center at 757-965-8686, the National Veterans Crisis Hotline: (800) 273-8255, or the National Women Veterans Hotline: (855) 829-6636.
We provide short and medium term outpatient mental health care support.
The Cohen Clinic at The Up Center is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization. All post-9/11 veterans and their families are eligible for treatment. We accept most major insurances and will work with clients on a case-by-case basis to ensure that any barriers to care are addressed. All funds collected from insurance go right back into providing care for clients to ensure sustainability and growth.
Janel Cisneros is the Practice Manager at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center, providing oversight of the daily operations of the clinic. Janel has over 23 years’ experience in the healthcare field, including clinical, logistical, and managerial. She worked as the Director of Operations in Healthcare Human Resource Solutions after retiring from the United States Navy in 2012.
Edica Gonzalez serves as the case manager at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Argosy University and is currently attending Our Lady of the Lake University to earn her Master’s degree in Social Work. She has gained her experience as an intern at the Up Center working in outpatient services, co-facilitating for the Batterers Intervention group, assisting with the Social Skill building group and the Women’s Assertiveness group. Other background work includes crisis counseling for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault which continues to be a growing passion of hers.
Her appreciation for the military stems from being the daughter of a Marine, the wife of a Navy corpsman for 15 years and a very proud mother of an Airmen. The military holds a special a place in her heart and working at the Cohen Clinic at The Up Center gives her the opportunity to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for our country.
As a nurse practitioner, Anne Marie has worked in remote areas of Alaska and other states. Before joining the Cohen Clinic at The Up Center, she worked with the Virginia Beach Community Service Board (CSB), treating people with substance use disorders and the severely mentally ill, utilizing medication management. She also worked with Naval Medical Center Portsmouth for more than a decade, where she worked within a trauma clinic as well as an outpatient military treatment facility.
As a prescriber, Anne Marie enjoys working at the Cohen Clinic at The Up Center because she knows of the quality of care all of her patients will receive if they continue in therapy with our highly-trained staff who are passionate about their work and motivated to go above and beyond for our patients.
Traci Whitley is a clinician with the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), she received a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Argosy University, Honolulu in 2009. Traci married into the United States Marine Corps shortly before the events of 9/11, leaving her with a deep personal and professional appreciation of the unique experiences of the military population. Inspired to serve, she has provided counseling for active duty military, veterans, spouses, and couples for the past decade.
Heather is the daughter of an Air Force veteran and the wife of a Marine veteran who currently serves as a first responder. She works tirelessly to connect veterans and military families with various community resources. Heather is also the founder and executive director of Kennedy’s Angel Gowns, a non-profit that provides hand-crafted burial Angel Gowns made from donated wedding gowns to bereaved families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death.
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center
828 Healthy Way, Suite 105, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: 757-965-8686
Email: cohenclinic@theupcenter.org
The MIlitary Family Clinic is conveniently located in Virginia Beach, near S Independence Blvd and S Plaza Trail.
Free Parking is available onsite. Transportation and childcare are available upon request.
Monday: 8:30am to 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:30am to 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:30am to 8:00pm
Thursday: 8:30am to 8:00pm
Friday: 8:30am to 1:00pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
150 Boush Street, Ste. 500,
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
757.354.3819
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