MAKING
MAKING IT
MAKING IT HARDER FOR LOCAL VETERANS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH CARE DURING THE COVETED
19 PANDEMIC.
>> THERAPISTS AND VETERANS SAY
THE AGENCY'S ACTIONS ARE
DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER BRAD
RACINO WITH CBS, A PARTNER A
NEW SOURCE HAS THE DETAILS.
>> APRIL COBLEY IS A 37 YEAR
OLD NAVY VETERAN WHO SUFFERS
FROM PTSD AND SEXUAL TRAUMA.
SHE SAID SHE'S ALWAYS HAD A
HARD TIME GETTING GOOD MENTAL
HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE V.A.
BUT RECENTLY THINGS HAVE GOTTEN
WORSE.
I KEEP HAVING TO PUSH TO GET
WHAT THEY PROMISED.
>> AND IT'S EXHAUSTING THOUGH
AT 28 TEEN LAW GUARANTEED.
>> SHE AND OTHER VETERANS COULD
GO OUTSIDE THE V.A. SYSTEM FOR
HEALTH CARE WHEN NEEDED, SHE
SAYS.
THE SAN DIEGO V.A. IS MAKING
THAT DIFFICULT IF NOT
IMPOSSIBLE.
>> IT'S ALMOST A FULL TIME JOB
TO CONSTANTLY TRY AND MAKE
PHONE CALLS AND CONTACT THE
RIGHT PEOPLE.
IT'S IT'S I KNOW WHY A LOT OF
PEOPLE GIVE COBLE'S THERAPIST
ALEXANDRA LAFER IS ONE OF MANY
CLINICIANS WHO CONTRACT WITH
THE V.A. TO TREAT VETERANS.
THE FEDERAL AGENCY CAN'T
ACCOMMODATE OVER THE LAST FEW
MONTHS LAFER SAYS SHE'S HIT
ROADBLOCK AFTER ROADBLOCK WITH
THE AGENCY TRYING TO GET
APPROVALS FOR TREATMENTS AND AT
THE END OF THE DAY.
>> YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
SUFFERING ARE THE VETERANS WHO
WE TREAT.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S MOST
IMPORTANT HERE IS THE FACT THAT
THE VETERANS ARE NOT ABLE TO
ACCESS THE CARE THAT THEY NEED
BECAUSE NOBODY REALLY KNOWS HOW
TO MANEUVER THE SYSTEM.
THOSE INTERVIEWED TOLD ON
NEWS SOURCE AT LEAST THREE
VETERANS HAVE TAKEN THEIR LIVES
OVER THE AGENCY'S ACTIONS.
AND THEY WORRY THAT WITH THE
EXTRA STRAIN OF CAUVIN 19
THINGS COULD GET WORSE.
IT'S AN FRANKLY FRIGHTENING
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO
VETERANS.
>> IT'S DANGEROUS AND IT'S
REALLY SCARY.
THERAPISTS LIKE WENDY BELDING
SAY NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR THE
V.A. MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO
FALTER.
>> SOMETHING'S WRONG.
>> SOMETHING'S REALLY WRONG.
WE SENT THE SAN DIEGO V.A. A
LIST OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
MENTAL HEALTH HAIRCUTS.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AGENCY
WOULDN'T ANSWER ANY.
INSTEAD HE ASKED FOR THE NAMES
OF THE VETERANS AND THERAPISTS
INTERVIEWED FOR THIS
INVESTIGATION.
>> COBLEY SAID THE V.A. HAS A
RESPONSE ABILITY TO THOSE
WHO'VE SERVED TO PROVIDE THE
CARE THEY NEED.
A ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN THE
SUICIDE RATE WHICH WAS ALREADY
HIGH FOR VETERANS IS INCREASING
WITH ALL THE COMBAT RELATED
STRESS YOU DON'T SEND A
GENERATION A WAR AND BE LIKE OH
WELL I'M DONE LATE NOW.
>> THAT'S NOT OKAY.
>> BRAD RACINO WITH A
NEWS SOURCE WHO JOINS US NOW.
BRAD, YOU SAID THE V.A. REFUSED
TO ANSWER BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHY THE STALLING IS HAPPENING
HERE.
IS THERE ANYTHING OUT THERE TO
KEEP THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT
SEEMS LIKE NEGLECT ON THEIR
PART?
>> SO ON PAPER.
>> I MEAN THERE ARE ELECTED
OFFICIALS WHO CAN PUT PRESSURE
ON THE V.A. IN PARTICULAR
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE
COMMITTEES.
BUT IN REALITY, FOR WHATEVER
REASON THERE OFTEN HESITANT TO
DO THAT.
ONE THING I HAVE SEEN WORK IN
THE PAST AT OTHER ACROSS THE
COUNTRY IS OVERWHELMING PUBLIC
PRESSURE.
SO WHEN PEOPLE NOT JUST
VETERANS BUT REGULAR PEOPLE
TAKE THE TIME TO SIT DOWN,
WRITE E-MAIL, MAKE A PHONE CALL
TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND
SAY HEY, THIS ISN'T HOW WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO TREAT THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO'VE SERVED OUR COUNTRY
WITH THE SAN DIEGO V.A..
I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO
HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE OTHER
THAN THROUGH THIS KIND OF
REPORTING UP AND WRITING ABOUT
THESE PROBLEMS THERE FOR MORE
THAN TWO YEARS.
BUT TIME AND AGAIN THEY HAVE
REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY OF
THOSE PROBLEMS EXIST AND THEY
REFUSED TO CHANGE COURSE.
>> THIS IS UPSETTING.
SO WHAT'S NEXT HERE?
HOW CAN THESE VETERANS GET SOME
JUSTICE OR ARE YOU GOING TO
INVESTIGATE THE V.A. MORE
PURSUE THIS MORE?
HOW MUCH CAN YOU PURSUE THIS?
>> YEAH, I MEAN I'M GOING TO
KEEP GOING.
IT'S WHAT WE DO.
WE DO HAVE A NEW STORY COMING
OUT TOMORROW ON THIS SUBJECT
BUT I HOPE YOUR VIEWERS WILL
CHECK OUT.
BUT ONE THING THAT YOU ALSO
WILL SEE FROM US GOING FORWARD
IS A LOT MORE FIRST PERSON
STORIES FROM VETERANS BECAUSE
SO MANY OF THE VETS I'VE
INTERVIEWED HAVE TOLD ME HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS TO SHARE THEIR
STRUGGLES AND TO HEAR FROM
OTHER VETERANS ABOUT THEIR
STRUGGLES BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH
IN THE MILITARY IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS OPENLY
DISCUSSED.
SO WE'RE COLLECTING THOSE
STORIES FROM VETS AND
PUBLISHING THEM ON OUR WEB SITE
AND NOT JUST FROM MEMBERS OF
THE MILITARY BUT ALSO FOR THE
GENERAL PUBLIC TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE MEN AND
WOMEN ARE GOING THROUGH AFTER
THEY LEAVE SERVICE.
POWERFUL STUFF THERE, BRAD
RACINO FROM A NEW SOURCE.
THANKS AS ALWAYS, BRAD.
AND TO HEAR MORE FROM VETERANS
AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE ALONG
WITH THERAPISTS KNOWLEDGEABLE
ON THE MENTAL HEALTH TOLL, YOU
CAN GO TO EYE NEWS SOURCE DOT
ORG.
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