North Central Massachusetts

As of 2022, there were an estimated 14,349 veterans living in the area, including around 1,130 women veterans. This page includes local events and directories of veterans’ services; veteran outreach centers; VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys; posts and auxiliaries; elder services; VA clinics; community behavioral health centers; peer recovery support centers; and peer recovery meetings; as well as census data service members and veterans in the area.

Tag any events you submit with #north-central so they show up here. Use the listing below to search for events by city or town. As long as you include the name of the city or town in the listing, they will show up in the local listings below.

Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services

The mission of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) is to act as the primary advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealth’s veterans. EOVS offers assistance to eligible veterans and their surviving spouses through the MassVets Financial Benefits Program. Veterans may use the Mass Vet Benefit Calculator to see what they may qualify for and contact their local veterans’ services office below to apply. 

North Central Veterans’ Services Districts

MGL Chapter 115 requires each town/city have a veterans’ agent to administer these benefits, but two or more contiguous towns can also appoint someone to serve as veterans’ agent and form districts.

Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center

Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center in Gardner provides support to military veterans and their families, including low-income housing alternatives and residential readjustment programs, mental health counseling, case management, employment training, personal development, veterans’ benefits resource assistance, medical transportation, and food assistance. Veterans in the area looking for help can call MVOC at (978) 632-9601 for more information.

Clear Path for Veterans New England

Clear Path for Veterans New England works to create a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for veterans to seamlessly integrate into their communities in Devens and offers support through community meals, employment, peer-to-peer programs, wellness and clinical services, service/support dogs, community and group spaces, and recreation and training grounds.

VA-accredited Representatives, Agents & Attorneys

The directory below includes VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys based in North Central Massachusetts area cities and towns from the VA Office of the General Counsel’s Accreditation Search Tool as of July 2024. The VA provides accreditation to ensure VA claimants receive qualified assistance preparing and presenting their claims in accordance with VA Standards of Conduct.

Veterans’ Posts & Auxiliaries in North Central Mass

The Veterans Posts and Auxiliaries directories include information about the VFW and American Legion Posts, Marine Corps League Detachments, and DAV Chapters based in cities and towns in the North Central area.

Elder Services in North Central Mass

Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) are private, non-profit agencies established under MGL Chapter 19A. ASAPs provide direct and protective services, including information and referrals; interdisciplinary case management; intake and assessment; developing, implementing, and monitoring service plans; reassessing needs; and investigating reports of elder abuse and neglect.

Housing Advisory Council

Established through Executive Orders filed in conjunction with the Affordable Homes Act, the Housing Advisory Council and Commission on Unlocking Housing Production is bringing together a broad range of stakeholders from across Massachusetts to advise the Healey-Driscoll administration on strategies to address the state’s housing challenges. Regional listening sessions were held between April–June 2024. If you missed them, you can still provide feedback.

Fitchburg VA Outpatient Clinic

Veterans living in the Berkshires are served by the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System. The Fitchburg VA Clinic is located in the North Central area. Anyone who has served in the military is encouraged to apply to determine their eligibility and Priority Group. Some veterans are exempt from co-pays due to their VA rating, income, or special eligibility factors.

Community Behavioral Health Centers

Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) are one-stop shops for mental health and substance use services and treatment. The network includes four centers covering the North Central area located in Leominster, Gardner, Athol, and Greenfield offering immediate, confidential care for mental health and substance use needs. CBHCs are open daily for walk-ins, routine appointments, and crisis care, including Mobile Crisis Intervention.

Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line

CBHCs are closely connected to the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL). The BHHL is a 24/7 clinical hotline staffed by trained behavioral health providers and peer coaches who offer clinical assessment, treatment referrals, and crisis triage services. Staff directly connect callers with the nearest CBHC when appropriate. Call or text (833) 773-2445 or chat here.

Peer Recovery Support Centers

Peer Recovery Support Centers (PRSC) in Massachusetts are free accessible peer-led spaces that provide individuals in recovery from substance use, as well as their family members and loved ones, an opportunity to offer and receive support in their community. PRSCs are warm, welcoming spaces grounded in the values and principles of Recovery and Multiple Pathways, offering human connection, community inclusion, and peer support, as well as access to non-clinical resources.

Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline

The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline is staffed by a dedicated team of harm reductionists and people with lived and living experience with overdose. The hotline connects people using drugs with trained operators who can call for help. 

12-Step Recovery Meetings in North Central Mass

Twelve-step recovery programs meet online and in public settings to guide individuals in their recovery and generally have a general spiritual foundation, encouraging participants to look to a higher power, however they define it. The directory below links to 12-step programs by city/town.

North Central Area Service Members & Veterans

Based on the 2022 ACS 5-year estimates, veterans make up 5.9 percent of the population in the North Central area. There are 14,349 veterans and 188 service members in the area.

• 7.9 percent of veterans and 16.5 percent of service members are women.

• 53.1 percent of veterans are over 65, including 2.8 percent of women veterans.

• 77.5 percent have wartime service.

If you serve veterans and are trying to learn more about their demographics, you can explore the most recent ACS 5-year estimates from Census Reporter for cities and towns in the North Central area at the links below:

• Age by gender and veteran status, service era, service-connected disability, veteran status by educational attainment, age by veteran status and employment, median income by gender and veteran status, and sex by age by employment status with armed forces are available at the city and town level with 5-year estimates (most reliable).

• Age by disability by veteran and poverty status is available at the county level with 1-year estimates (most current).