Senator to VA: Do More on Mental Health Care

Sen. Patty Murray, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, is calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve mental health care delivery, the Senate committee reported.

Murray requested a survey of VA mental health services this summer after the committee heard testimony from two veterans who had to wait months to get follow-up appointments for mental health services. The survey found that only 60 percent of VA providers can schedule appointments within the required 14-day window, and 70 percent said they did not have the resources they needed to meet the demand for mental health services from veterans.

Sen. Murray urges action to improve care

In response to those findings, Murray has called on top officials at the VA to develop concrete steps to improve delivery of mental health care, including reducing wait times, as well as find ways to reach out to veterans with mental health issues who have not contacted the VA for an appointment.

For the full text of Senator Murray's letter to the VA, see the Senate committee's press release.

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