The Government Accountability Office will study whether the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs are providing proper mental health care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In letters to Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, the GAO said it would assess the VA’s treatment of veterans with mild traumatic brain injury; the Department of Defense’s pre- and post-deployment screenings for mental health conditions and mild traumatic brain injury; and whether policies pertaining to personality disorder discharges have been followed.
The studies are to be completed by the end of the year.
“It has become increasingly evident that incidents of (post-traumatic stress disorder) among our service members are not being properly addressed,” Salazar said. “The need for appropriate action by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs is critical.”
In May, nine members of Congress asked the GAO to conduct a study. Allard and Salazar sent their own letter, which broadened the scope and asked the GAO to provide recommendations for legislation to improve mental health care and to capitalize on “best practices” in the military.
“We owe our armed forces exceptional health care, and the increased focus on their mental health care by Congress is much needed,” Allard said.
A recent report from the Pentagon’s Mental Health Task Force found that 49 percent of National Guard members, 38 percent of soldiers and 31 percent of Marines have experienced mental health issues after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“The magnitude is considerable, and the Mental Health Task Force also found that resources are inadequate,” said Jason Forrester, policy director for Veterans for America, an advocacy group.
“Every war brings with it its challenges, and we have mammoth bureaucracies at both the DOD and the VA, and it often takes them awhile to readjust so that they can treat these wounds of war,” Forrester said.
Fort Carson has come under fire for discharging soldiers for personality disorders after they had been diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder. Those discharged for a personality disorder are not eligible for medical benefits from the VA.
“People realize that there is a chance that there have already been large numbers of people who have been failed by the system,” Forrester said. “It’s necessary to do a retrospective look at their cases to make sure that they get the treatments that they need.”
Army leaders say soldiers are reluctant to seek help because they believe their careers will be ruined if they do.
Earlier this month, the Army launched a “chain teaching” program aimed at educating 1 million soldiers about PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury.
During the next 90 days, senior leaders will teach their immediate subordinate units, who in turn will teach their subordinate units, and so on down the line.
Across the Army, an effort to hire an additional 260 to 270 mental health care providers also is underway.
Fort Carson has been training leaders about PTSD since January and February and expanded the program in the spring to all ranks.
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.
