Although the Veterans Mental Health Act was signed into law more than a year ago, a recent survey by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) has found that veterans are still facing obstacles to accessing mental health and substance use treatment. The Veterans Mental Health Act requires the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with community behavioral health centers to increase capacity and expand mental health services to include marriage and family counseling. The survey of National Council members, community-based mental health and addictions treatment organizations, found serious obstacles that prevent veterans from getting treatment. Nearly 66% of those surveyed reported that veterans and their families experience long delays to get initial appointments for people in crisis, and long waits between appointments. Other obstacles reported were long distances that veterans had to travel to the VA or a military base, the worry that seeking treatment would negatively impact their careers, and the lack of family involvement.
For more information regarding this survey, please visit: www.thenationalcouncil.org/cs/press_releases/ survey_finds_barriers_to_veterans_and_mental_health.
Tags: mental health, nations council, survey, VA, veteran, Veterans Affairs
