VA defends mental health care in Montana

In response to a letter from Montana’s congressional delegation urging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs not to cut 10,000 frontline workers across the country due to concerns it would negatively impact medical and mental health services, the department said it remains committed to providing world-class health care to covered veterans and currently has the largest health care workforce in its history, figures show.

VA spokesman Terrence Hayes said in an email Tuesday that so far in fiscal year 2024, the Montana Veterans Affairs Health Care System (MTVAHCS) has “completed more than 24,200 mental health appointments and opened more than 2,300 new mental health appointments.”

“Comparing this data to FY22, MTVAHCS has already exceeded its total appointments by 5,000 and seen over 400 new veterans more than in FY22,” Hayes wrote. “Finally, wait times for mental health appointments are shorter than last year and veterans are being seen approximately two days sooner than in FY22.”

Recently, Montana’s Republican legislative caucus sent a letter, as did Democratic Senator Jon Tester, urging VA officials not to cut 10,000 frontline health care workers, saying such a move would negatively impact medical and mental health services for Montana veterans.

CNN reported on June 10 that the Department of Veterans Affairs is cutting frontline positions despite agency leaders expressing opposition to the move. Psychologists, clinical social workers and other positions are being cut, and some job offers have been recently rescinded, as the department seeks to address budget shortfalls and reduce its workforce by 10,000.

In an email forwarded to Lee Montana Newspapers via the Montana Department of Veterans Affairs, Hayes said the VA continues to hire strategically in several key areas, including mental health and targeted geographies, “ensuring VA has the national workforce it needs to serve our nation’s veterans.”

He said Montana has seen an increase in the number of personnel working on ships, even as the state cut its cap on full-time employees.

“Since the beginning of fiscal year 2023, MTVAHCS has seen an 8.2% increase in overall staffing, including a 17% increase in mental health staff,” Hayes wrote.

He said the PACT Act allows the Montana VA health care system to attract and “most importantly, retain” levels of staff it has never experienced before.

Hayes said retention rates for VA employees, including mental health professionals, are at an all-time high.

He noted that the retention rate for mental health professionals was 93 percent in fiscal year 2023, and said, “The numbers will be even better in fiscal year 2024.”

The offices of Tester and Republican Sen. Steve Daines did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Hayes said the VA prides itself on “comprehensive evidence-based mental health care” and has “taken a variety of steps to minimize staffing shortages and turnover among mental health providers. In 2023, the VA provided more than 22 million mental health care appointments to veterans, clear evidence that veterans trust the VA with their care.”

“We’re working hard every day to provide more care to more veterans and improve the care we provide,” he said.

He said the VA continues to hire mental health professionals nationwide, and over the past three fiscal years has hired psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, certified professional mental health counselors, peer support specialists, mental health nurses and mental health physician assistants, among other mental health positions.

• 2012: 2,008 (until April)

Hayes said hiring for seafarers has increased despite Montana lowering its cap on full-time employees, which he said highlights the company’s commitment to improving mental health care in Montana.

Hayes said Montana exceeds the minimum standard of an outpatient staffing ratio of 7.72 per 1,000 veterans and has one of the best staff-to-veteran ratios among the 19 Veterans Integrated Service Networks.

• FY22: 193 FTE cap/125 FTE onboard

• FY24: 164 FTE cap/155 FTE onboard (until May)