Medal of Honor Recipients and CVN Spokespeople Ryan Pitts (left) and Kyle White (right) at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania’s recent grand opening on Friday, October 14.

US military veterans and their families living in the Philadelphia area have new access to free, easily accessible and comprehensive mental health care through an innovative partnership between the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Cohen Veterans Network (CVN).

The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania, which began accepting patients on September 6 of this year, is the first clinic of its kind in the region and is part of a $275 million overall commitment from Steven A. Cohen to support mental health services for veterans and their families.

 “We are honored to open the Cohen Military Family Clinic here at Penn,” said Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania. “Penn has a long history of supporting veterans through education and community initiatives. This new clinic will continue that tradition while also supporting efforts in the Philadelphia region to provide the men, women and their families who have bravely served our country with essential mental health services.”

The Cohen Military Family Clinic at Penn, located at 3535 Market Street, is part of the Cohen Veterans Network’s national efforts to provide access to evidence-based, customized outpatient care to veterans and their families in order to treat a variety of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family issues and children’s behavioral problems. In addition to mental health services, the clinic will also offer support related to unemployment, housing, finance and education and will provide resources such as transportation assistance and child care to its patients. 

“Since 2002, almost two million US military personnel have become veterans with approximately 58 percent experiencing mental health issues,” said David W. Oslin, executive director of the Cohen Military Family Clinic at Penn. “This clinic will help break down barriers, such as stigma and accessibility, that prevent many veterans and their families from seeking the mental health care they need to lead healthy and productive lives once they have left active duty.”