Recently, the Seattle Times included a guest editorial by Dr. Peter Roy-Byrne, a psychiatrist and president of the Washington State Psychiatric Society, advocating for reforms to mental health-care services for U.S. veterans. In the rush by Congress to increase resources to the VA, Dr. Roy-Byrne believes mental health must receive the same largesse.
Veteran Energy strongly believes in access to proper mental-health care for all who require such services, as it is a critical part of veterans’ transition back to civilian life.
One big issue the VA has had in the past with psychiatrist recruitment has been the inability to compete with the private sector in offering loan forgiveness to candidates. Many medical school graduates face extraordinary levels of tuition debt, and private practices sometimes include debt repayment as a hiring incentive. The VA has been unable under law to offer an equivalent, but there is a possibility for change.
The Ensuring Veterans’ Resiliency Act provides just such flexibility to the VA. Under the bill, the VA would be able to recruit some psychiatrists by including debt repayment in their hiring packages. The intent is to encourage young graduates to begin their careers where they are most needed, rather than with the highest-paying employer.
Currently, bills are working their way through both the House and Senate, and Veteran Energy hopes the reconciled legislation will include the resiliency act. In the words of Dr. Roy-Byrne, “[V]eterans pledged to defend our country, and now Congress has a chance to defend them by passing comprehensive reforms in the VA health-care system. Their mental-health needs cannot and should not be overlooked, and a proper workforce is a part of delivering on that promise.”
