West Philadelphia clinic offers mental health help for veterans and their families

A new mental health clinic for veterans and their families has opened in West Philadelphia. The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic is a partnership between Penn Medicine and Cohen Veterans Network. 

The new clinic at 3535 Market Street is free to veterans and their families. It’s goal —  to provide evidence based mental health treatment at a time when 20 veterans take their own lives each day. Family members are eligible for free care too, including individual therapy.

“The family is a really critical support in veterans’ wellness,” said Leah Blain, the Clinic’s Director. “We want to serve those who serve, we want to serve those who support those who served, and we know that that in turn helps those veterans as well.”

Long wait times, a deterrent for accessing care, shouldn’t be an issue at the new clinic. Leah Blain, the Clinic’s Director, says wait times for that first appointment will be less than a week after intake.

“We know that after after a week, every day that you schedule someone out that you schedule someone out to do that initial assessment, you lose about seven percent of people actually showing up for that initial appointment.”

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