Access & Wait Times In VA Mental Health

A reader responded to our recent series on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care with a new question. What are the waiting times for mental health appointments in the VA? And, does the VA model for mental health care delivery contribute to the issue of long wait times? To answer, we need to look at how mental health care fits into the VA health care service delivery model and the implications of the model on wait times.

The VA has five levels of mental health services available to veterans. The least intensive (and newest) model in the VA approach . . .