VA Vet Centers: Opportunities exist to help better ensure veterans’ and servicemembers’ readjustment counseling needs are met : report to congressional committees

VA Vet Centers: Opportunities exist to help better ensure veterans’ and servicemembers’ readjustment counseling needs are met : report to congressional committees

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Alternate Title(s):
Opportunities exist to help better ensure veterans’ and servicemembers’ readjustment counseling needs are met: report to congressional committees
Contributor(s):
United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body.
United States. Congress, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, May 2022
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Government Regulation
Mental Health Services
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic -- rehabilitation
Veterans Health
United States
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Why GAO did this study. Some veterans and servicemembers experience challenges, such as mental illness, when readjusting to civilian life or to continued military service. This can be due to trauma experienced during military service. VHA’s Vet Centers provide services to eligible veterans, servicemembers, and their families. The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 included a provision for GAO to review VHA’s RCS. This report examines (1) how VHA assesses whether Vet Centers are meeting clients’ needs, (2) how Vet Centers assess the effectiveness of their outreach, and (3) barriers to Vet Center care VHA has identified and steps it has taken to address them. GAO reviewed VHA policies and interviewed officials from RCS and counselors and outreach staff from five Vet Centers. GAO selected Vet Centers for variation in geographic location and other factors. GAO also interviewed representatives from two veterans service organizations. What GAO Recommends. GAO is making five recommendations, including that VHA (1) develop a process to assess the extent that Vet Centers are meeting the needs of clients collectively; (2) provide Vet Centers guidance to assess the effectiveness of their outreach; and (3) develop a process to assess the extent of barriers to obtaining Vet Center care. The Department of Veterans Affairs concurred with GAO's recommendations and identified actions VHA is taking to implement them.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (ii, 41 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
9918434086906676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918434086906676