April 30, 2009

Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA Mental Health Services

For more information, contact: Brian Lawrence, (202) 225-3527

Washington, D.C. –Today, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing to examine the progress being made by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in meeting the mental health care needs of our nation’s veterans. 

“The psychological toll of war is not always apparent and sadly has not always received the attention it should,” Subcommittee Ranking Member Henry Brown said. “However, I think we can all agree that the VA has come a long way, especially in the past few years, to improve mental health services and encourage veterans in need of care to get help.”

VA is in the fifth year of implementing its strategic plan to address gaps in services and improve the delivery of veterans’ mental health care.  As part of the plan, VA published the Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook, which includes over 400 initiatives. VA’s Office of Inspector General testified at the hearing that the handbook is, “an ambitious effort to enhance the availability, provision, and coordination of mental health services to veterans, and that VHA has made progress in implementation at the medical center level.”  

“While significant progress has been made, more remains to be accomplished,” Brown said. “I intend to maintain strong oversight to ensure that appropriated funding for this plan is spent as intended, to support a full array of mental health services for our nation’s veterans.” 

Mr. Brown’s full statement can be read at: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?NewsID=366

For more news from House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Republicans, please go to:

http://republicans.veterans.house.gov/

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