With more troops suffering from stress and readjustment disorders after their military service, the Department of Veterans Affairs is creating new counseling centers in Temecula and Chula Vista.

The centers are among 39 new ones being opened across the country next year, bringing the number of such clinics nationwide to 271. California now has 22 counseling centers, including one in San Marcos.

"Nearly one-third of our clients now are veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan," said Richard Talbott, the department's Pacific Western regional manager in Fairfield. "There is an increasing need and we expect that to continue for several years."

Each center initially will be staffed by a team leader, three counselors and an officer manager. The staffing level is expected to grow as more veterans seek assistance, Talbott said.

The centers provide free counseling on employment and family issues. They were first established by Congress in 1979 in response to continuing problems experienced by many Vietnam War veterans.

Bereavement counseling is available to family members of troops killed on active duty, and counseling also is available for veterans who were the victims of sexual harassment during their service.

The centers are a key component of the Veteran Affairs mental health programs, said department Secretary James Peake.

Now in the planning stages, the centers are not expected to open until the middle of next year. When they do, Talbott said, each is expected to serve about 600 veterans and their families in their first year of operation.

The centers differ from the Veterans Affairs medical clinics; people who use the centers' services can opt for as much anonymity as they desire.

"We won't release anything that the veteran doesn't want us to," Talbott said.

The centers are generally more "vet friendly" than larger, multipurpose Veterans Affairs medical centers, said Bill Rider, president of the independent San Diego County group American Combat Veterans of War.

"A lot of vets are more likely to come in and talk to their counselors because they won't report it back to the VA," said Rider, whose group also offers outreach and counseling services. "One is especially needed in Riverside County because there are a lot of combat veterans living without these kinds of services."

Talbott said Chula Vista was chosen to better serve the southern area of San Diego County.

"We're trying to cover the major population centers and with one already in downtown and one in San Marcos, I think our next step will be to look at better serving the eastern part of the county," he said.

In May, the department announced it will build a $4 million outpatient clinic in a central Oceanside business park.

The 65,000-square-foot clinic will handle roughly 88,000 patient visits per year and offer general medical and dental care, rehabilitation therapy and a host of other services.

The department has similar outpatient clinics in Vista and Escondido, serving more than 35,000 patients annually.

The main hospital is in La Jolla.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.