Video: Top Watchdog Confirms VA Mental Health Care Staffing Shortages & Increased Wait Times Following Trump Cuts: 'They are Losing Clinical Staff Because Morale is Going Down'

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing yesterday, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal questioned witnesses on reports of significant mental health staffing shortages across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"Dr. Fletcher, to what extent have waiting times for mental health appointments been due to diminished staff?" asked Blumenthal.

"What we've heard from the warriors we've served is they are experiencing access to care difficulties and that can create problems," said Dr. Erin Fletcher, Warrior Care Network director for Wounded Warrior Project.

The VA Office of Inspector General's witness, Dr. Julie Kroviak, the Acting Assistant Inspector General for Healthcare Inspections, also confirmed these mental health care staffing shortages: "Yeah, we are aware of shortages in mental health providers and access to care within mental health and health in VA. That's not unique to the VA health care system. The wait times we're seeing in VA are also reflected in the wait times veterans are experiencing when being referred to the community."

In response, Blumenthal stressed the unique nature of VA Secretary Collins' workforce cuts, freezes, and firings, and questioned Dr. Kroviak on if this has had an impact on recruitment and retention of VA mental health professionals: "It's not unique but what is maybe unique, certainly unusual, to the VA health care system is it is discouraging talented mental health professionals from coming to the VA through policies of furloughs and firings, would you agree?"

Dr. Kroviak stated VA OIG has received feedback from VA employees that the Department is losing in-demand clinical staff "because of morale" hits, due to uncertainty at the Trump VA: "So I will say through our cyclical reviews, where we go out to facilities not for cause, [but] to try to get a feel for culture and quality of care practices, we are getting more feedback that morale is going down because of the uncertainty within the federal government. So yes, while they aren't participating in the [Deferred Resignation Program] or didn't participate in DRP or other programs clinical staff were exempted from, they are still losing clinical staff because of morale."

During the hearing's second panel, Blumenthal noted reports that Connecticut veterans are experiencing longer wait times for critical mental health care at VA clinics across the state: "As you know, VA Secretary Collins has repeatedly stated that access to VA care has not been affected by staffing reductions. But the VA's own data, in my view, tells a very different story. Wait times for new mental health appointments have increased sharply since January in my home state, Connecticut. For example, the most recent data shows the current wait time for a new patient mental health appointment at the Orange VA Clinic in Connecticut-an outpatient facility specializing in mental health-is 208 days, nearly six months. Let me ask you, given these kinds of wait times, how does VA plan to prevent overreliance on medication when veterans cannot access timely appointments and what steps are necessary to address this issue?," asked Blumenthal.

In response, VA's witness, Dr. Ilse Wiechers, Acting Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, acknowledged there are wait times at some facilities "that are beyond [VA's] expectations and standards."

The video link of Blumenthal's Q&A is available here.

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