BVA has joined a handful of other Veterans Service Organizations in endorsing legislation that would expedite VA’s hiring process to fill critical shortages of psychiatrists at hospitals and clinics where positions have remained open for at least 35 days, Stars and Stripes reported this week. 

The bill, introduced by Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8), comes on the heels of a 2023 VA Inspector General report referring to “severe shortages” in psychiatry staffing while hundreds of veterans are facing mental health crises. Cartwright traces the problem to a “bureaucratic maze” within VA for initiating the employment process for new psychiatrists.

For additional details about the bill and those supporting it, read the Stars and Stripes article here.