News outlets across the country are reporting on a growing crisis in Mental Health Care for Veterans attributed directly to the Trump Administration’s cuts to staffing. The VA is among the largest providers of mental health care in the US and threats of an additional 80,000 job cuts increase the alarm.    

NPR reports: “Providers and Patients at the Department of Veterans Affairs say mental health and mental health care are suffering.  They fear this struggle will get worse.” 

ProPublica reports that “Mental Health is understaffed, burned out and there is not enough mental health care for Veterans who need the services.”

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says “The Trump Administration has radically slashed the federal civilian workforce sidestepping Congress and causing disruptions, slowdowns and fragility in a range of critical public services . . . Veterans have been affected by these cuts both as members of the federal workforce and as recipients of federal health care . . .”

The Minority News issued by the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs ranking member, Senator Richard Blumenthal, “unveils a comprehensive report detailing the harm inflicted on VA and veterans by the Administration’s policies.” 

The actual number of job losses in the VA Health Service varies depending on who is spinning.  It seems likely that the reduction in force numbers are already between 30,000 and 40,000 with additional voluntary departures by Doctors, Nurses and Mental Health Clinicians. The VA is not reporting on the vacancies created by professionals driven out by the overwork and operational chaos created as a result of personnel policies that, at best can only be described as irresponsible. 

Such disruption leads to grave consequences in medical care. In mental health care, where long term relationships with therapists, consistency in treatment plans and maintaining therapeutic routines are essential, it can be catastrophic.  While some legislators are attempting to call attention to the problem, it is time for members of both the House and the Senate to take action.