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VA to Increase Mental Health Staff

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be adding approximately 1,600 mental health clinicians and nearly 300 support staff to its existing workforce to meet the growing needs of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “As more veterans return home, we must ensure that all veteranshave access to quality mental health care,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki in a press release yesterday.           

VA’s ongoing comprehensive review of mental health operations indicated that some VA facilities require more mental health staff to serve the growing needs of veterans and the department is moving quickly to address this top priority. VA will allocate funds from the current budget to all 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) across the country this month to begin recruitment immediately.

Since 2007, VA has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of veterans receiving mental health services, and a 41 percent increase in mental health staff. FRA has referenced the need for improved access to care for all veterans in its congressional testimony and in interactions with lawmakers and staff, including those who bear the invisible scars of service. The Association is also working to ensure mandatory (sequestration) budget cuts required by the 2011 Budget Control Act don’t derail this and other programs aimed at serving America’s heroes.

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