DeLauro Calls for Better PTSD Treatment for Troops and Veterans

New Haven, CT— Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) held a roundtable discussion on providing better mental health access and care to our service-members and veterans.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs was established in 1930 to fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for our soldiers and their families, consolidating the various benefits and services that were administered by three different Federal agencies. The VA health care system, which began with 54 hospitals, has grown to include 171 medical centers; more than 350 outpatient, community, and outreach clinics; 126 nursing home care units; and 35 domiciliary units, the old "Soldier's Homes," which are now active rehabilitation and treatment clinics and integrated with the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs.

A critical part of the Department of Veterans' Affairs' role in caring for our veterans includes their mental health, and specifically Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can occur after experiencing a traumatic event, and is thought to affect up to 30 percent of Vietnam veterans, 6-11 percent of veterans of the Afghanistan war, and about 12- 20 percent of veterans of the Iraq war. As Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said recently, the mental injuries of war "can be as debilitating as any physical battlefield trauma," and understanding and treating PTSD is crucial to helping our soldiers to recover.

Congresswoman DeLauro has fought for years to provide better mental health access and care to our service-members and veterans; championing legislation similar to what was included in the FY2010 Defense Authorization bill that mandates pre- and post-deployment screening for PSTD for all members of the Armed Forces. She has also worked to include funding for the Connecticut National Guard Military Support Program in the FY2011 Defense Appropriations bill. As the Congresswoman continues to work on this issue, she held a roundtable discussion with experts to solicit their opinions on how to improve access to care; best practices and cutting edge research to improve treatment; and support programs that can facilitate care for Connecticut families. She was joined by local veterans, veterans' advocates, and mental health experts.

"We have a moral obligation to those who have risked their lives for our nation. All of our troops and veterans should be receiving the highest quality health care, and that includes mental health—no excuses or exceptions. Our soldiers have sacrificed in ways that most of us can never imagine, and it is our duty to take care of them, physically and mentally. That is why I convened this roundtable today, to learn about what can be done to ensure the brave men and women who fight for our country get the care they deserve," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "We heard today from experts in the fields of health care, mental health, and veterans issues on a variety of challenges facing Connecticut veterans, and learned about what is working and what is not. From expanding access to care, to improving treatments, to better supporting our military families, and improving VA facilities around the country, there is a lot we can improve upon—but the VA here in West Haven is doing a terrific job, and I commend their commitment to serving the soldiers who have given their nation everything."