Noteboom The Law Firm

Veterans Given Better Access To Mental Health Care With Integrated Care

A recent study of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans examined how Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers deliver their health care and which is the most effective method. According to the study, the medical centers integrating primary health care with mental health care do a better job of ensuring veterans are given social work and mental health evaluations as opposed to medical centers providing only primary care.

Standard VA doctrine involves sending veterans to their primary care physician. If those veterans test positive for potential mental illness, they're referred to mental health providers. The vast majority of the time those referral appointments do not happen on the same day. Further, there is a good chance those appointments would not be in the same clinic.

For those clinics offering integrated health care, patients seeing their primary care physician who screen positive for mental health are immediately referred. That referral sends the veteran to a mental health provider, which is called a "Post-Deployment Stress Specialist," as well as a social worker, which is called a "Combat Case Manager."

These appointments not only happen the same day, but they take place in the same clinic. This approach of combining clinics has be successful for:

• female veterans;
• younger veterans;
• veterans screening positive for traumatic brain injury (TBI); and
• veterans screening positive for mental health conditions.

 

While the initial evaluation appointment was more successful under the integrated model, subsequent visits with mental health care providers were on the same level as with standard care. The VA has an issue keeping veterans engaged in treatment for mental health issues, it seems.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.