VA Outsourcing Could Increase Veteran Tragedies

On Tuesday, March 17th, a mentally ill veteran shot a social worker at a Jasper, Georgia, outpatient clinic run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The veteran was shot and killed by law enforcement, and the social worker died of his wounds the next day.

Although details are still scant, the incident highlights a serious problem in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), the private-sector network mandated by the VA MISSION Act of 2018. The VCCP now comprises over 1.7 million doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, and other providers, and treats over 40 percent of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients.

From its inception, the plan (embraced by Republicans and Democrats alike) did not address how private-sector providers, who generally have no experience dealing with veterans’ complex mental and physical problems, can protect themselves when caring for a small subset of veterans who are at risk of harming others.

In the VHA, staff routinely undergo a well-developed Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior program, intended to ensure that staff are protected and veterans who have behavioral challenges still get needed care. While this program, as we saw in Georgia, may not prevent every tragic incident, it has prevented enormous harm. There is no analogous program in the private sector.

In a stirring new piece in The American Prospect, VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon delves into the critical role VA plays in averting veteran crises, and how outsourcing could translate into increased tragedies.

Read her full piece here.