Mental Health Care in Jeopardy for Vets

Mental health care for veterans: another of the many areas of health care that have been left behind - and this administration could care less.

Although mental health care for returning soldiers has improved, many within the government's medical community say they are barely able to treat veterans from previous conflicts. Funding for Veterans Affairs' mental health services has been slashed since the mid-1990s, and more cuts are looming. One of the costs of war is the tremendous toll on the mental health of those who serve. Our Nation needs to make sure quality services are available when veterans and their families need it.

A recent NPR radio segment covers VA mental health services status. Increased demand by veterans with no increases in funding has resulted in a 30% cut in actual services. Hard working mental health professionals within the system are very concerned that they do not have the resources to treat their current patients let alone the expected wave from the recent war in Iraq.