VA to hire 1,900 mental health workers

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs said yesterday it was increasing its staff of mental health workers by about 1,900, part of an effort to anticipate medical needs of veterans returning home from war and to deal with a shortage of specialists.

The department plans to add about 1,600 clinicians, including psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and professional counselors, and about 300 support staff to an existing mental health staff of roughly 20,590.

"As the tide of war recedes, we have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to anticipate the needs of returning veterans," VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said. "History shows that the costs of war will continue to grow for a decade or more after the operational missions in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended. As more veterans return home, we must ensure that all veterans have access to quality mental health care."

The new hires follow a months-long VA review that determined shortages in mental health staff nationwide, leading veterans in some areas to wait longer than they should for treatment, Undersecretary for Health Robert Petzel said.

Since 2007, the VA has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of veterans receiving mental health services, but the department says it has made strides, in part by developing a more extensive suicide prevention program and by increasing the number of counseling centers.

Recruitment for the new positions will begin immediately, and Petzel said the VA expects to draw from the military, the private sector and from schools.

The mental well-being of veterans has been a critical area of concern, especially as surveys raised questions about wait times for care. Nearly 40 percent of 272 mental health providers surveyed said they could not schedule a new patient within the VA-mandated two weeks, and 70 percent said they lacked adequate space and staff.