House Veterans’ Committee Report concludes VA services at-risk…Survey shows growing demand, understaffing, curtailed or deferred services

Washington, D.C. – Over the past year, many Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Readjustment Counseling Service Centers (Vet Centers) have been forced to ration services, create waiting lists and limit individual counseling sessions due to significant increases in demand for services from returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, according to a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Democratic staff report released today.  

House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Ranking Member, Rep. Michael H. Michaud (D-ME) requested Democratic committee staff prepare the report on whether Vet Centers have experienced an increase in workload and have the capacity to meet any increases in demand for readjustment counseling and mental health services.  Staff reviewed VA data and interviewed supervisors at 60 Vet Centers nationwide to assess capacity. 

The report found that in nine months, from October 2005 through June 2006, the number of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have turned to Vet Centers for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) services and readjustment concerns has doubled from 4,467 to 9,103 veterans. 

“It’s clear from the report that Vet Center capacity has not kept pace with demand for services, and the Administration has failed to properly plan and prepare for the mental health needs of returning veterans and their families,” said Michaud.  “The Vet Centers’ staff are dedicated and deeply committed to meeting the needs of veterans and their families, but without additional resources, even dedicated staff has limits,” said Michaud.  “Contrary to the Administration rhetoric of supporting family counseling to help keep veterans’ families strong and resilient, 20 percent of the Vet Centers reported that they have no, or limited, capacity to provide family counseling or therapy. Veterans don’t live in a vacuum.  They, and their families, need help in facing PTSD symptoms that can shatter all their lives,” Michaud continued.   

According to the report, the increase in Vet Center workload, without commensurate increase in counseling staffing, has affected access to quality readjustment counseling for veterans.  Specifically, the report finds:  

·          100 percent of Vet Centers surveyed have seen a significant increase in outreach and services to OIF/OEF veterans;

·          For half of the Vet Centers, this increase has affected their ability to treat the existing client workload.  Of these Vet Centers, 40 percent have directed veterans for whom individualized therapy would be appropriate to group therapy.  Roughly, 27 percent have limited or plan to limit veterans’ access to marriage or family therapy.  Nearly 17 percent of the workload-affected Vet Centers have or plan to establish waiting lists;

·           Of all the Vet Centers surveyed, one in four has taken or will take some action to manage their increasing workload, including limiting services and establishing waiting lists; and,

·           Thirty percent of the Vet Centers explicitly commented that they need more staff.

In addition to this report, the Government Accountability Office recently reported (GAO-06-1119T) that the Administration failed to fund $300 million in resources which the Administration previously touted for veterans’ mental health services in 2005 and 2006. 

Established in 1979, Vet Centers are unique community-based, veteran-focused storefronts that provide a host of readjustment counseling services to assist veterans in successfully transitioning from military service to civilian life.  There are currently 207 Vet Centers located throughout the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, and Guam.   

A copy of the Democratic staff report has been transmitted to VA Secretary R. James Nicholson for his review and comment. 

The report can be viewed here: http://veterans.house.gov/democratic/officialcorr/pdf/vetcenters.pdf