The Atlanta VA intends to rent extra staff to reply its telephones and has diminished the variety of psychological well being calls which can be going unanswered, months after The Atlanta Journal-Structure discovered proof that veterans in disaster have been struggling to achieve the well being care system.
“The Atlanta VA Well being Care System is totally dedicated to offering distinctive look after our Veterans and acknowledges the seriousness of latest issues raised relating to unanswered psychological well being calls,” Chanel Prepare dinner, Communications Chief for the Atlanta VA Well being Care System, mentioned in an announcement. “We acknowledge that there have been challenges and have taken motion to deal with these challenges.”
In April, the AJC reported allegations that 1000’s of psychological well being calls to the Atlanta VA had gone unanswered over the previous yr, in line with a whistleblower criticism. The criticism alleges that out of roughly 22,000 psychological well being calls that have been made to the Atlanta VA Well being Care System over a 12-month interval, about 7,200, went unanswered.
The rationale, in line with the criticism, was that the VA’s Human Sources Division is gradual in hiring candidates who can reply the telephones. On the time the criticism was filed earlier this yr, it reported the Atlanta VA had a couple of third of the workers wanted to reply calls.
The AJC additionally interviewed a veteran who mentioned she did not get well timed psychological well being care from the Atlanta VA. Again in 2021, she was within the midst of a psychological well being disaster and referred to as the Atlanta VA about 10 instances within the span of three months. Somebody answered the telephone solely about half the time, she says. The veteran, who spoke on the situation of anonymity, says she finally acquired assist, however solely after driving herself to the Atlanta VA emergency room.
The latest enhancements got here after the VA Southeast Community, which covers Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, partnered with one other VA regional well being care community to assist deal with the inflow of calls acquired on the Atlanta VA. However the Atlanta VA continues to be removed from having its personal fully-staffed name heart.
In April, the Atlanta VA had dozens of individuals working at its name heart, and nonetheless has an analogous quantity immediately. Prepare dinner mentioned they’re working to rent extra than 100 individuals, and purpose to finally have a complete of 180 workers at its name heart, which handles a spread of issues referred to as in by veterans. She mentioned the deal with enhancing the decision heart was the results of “ongoing enchancment efforts” and wasn’t a direct results of the whistleblower criticism.
The variety of unanswered psychological well being calls made to the Atlanta VA Well being Care System has decreased since April, and considerably declined from June to July.
· In April 2023, the Atlanta VA acquired 1,875 psychological well being calls, of which 50 p.c have been unanswered.
· In Might 2023, the Atlanta VA acquired 2,244 psychological well being calls, of which 44 p.c have been unanswered.
· In June 2023, the Atlanta VA acquired 2,428 psychological well being calls, of which 44 p.c have been unanswered.
· In July 2023, the Atlanta VA acquired 2,171 psychological well being calls, of which 3 p.c have been unanswered.
Past the telephone strains, advocates for veterans have advised the AJC that the essential methods in place to deal with the psychological well being of 1000’s of veterans in Georgia aren’t working. There’s a scarcity of therapists within the VA who can deal with veterans within the state, in addition to frequent workers turnover, in line with Jim Lindenmayer, director and founding father of the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program. He’s additionally spoken with veterans who’ve made appointments and the therapists don’t present up.
What’s extra, he’s discovered that veterans are extra snug speaking on to veterans, as an alternative of a therapist.
“What we’ve skilled out right here is that veterans wish to speak to veterans first. They’re afraid of getting put to a therapist who’s going to attempt to give them a shotgun reply of what’s improper with them,” he mentioned.
Prepare dinner mentioned the VA will proceed to watch the decision heart till any boundaries veterans encounter are addressed, and are engaged on implementing a “sturdy psychological well being triage system” to prioritize pressing calls.
“We perceive that there’s a Veteran on the finish of each name that goes unanswered, and we will need to have the methods and workers in place so that each Veteran can entry the care they’ve earned, nonetheless they attempt to contact us,” Prepare dinner mentioned. “We is not going to relaxation till each name is answered, and each Veteran will get the help they want and deserve.”
Veterans who’re in fast disaster ought to dial 988, the nationwide psychological well being hotline, then press 1. They’ll additionally chat on-line at VeteransCrisisLine.internet/Chat, or textual content 838255.
