Spokane Vamc Expanding Its Behavioral Health Department.

[allan]

Spokane VAMC Expanding Its Behavioral Health Department.

The Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review (8/13, Graman) reports, "Amid a revolt by its staff psychiatrists, the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center has begun expanding a behavioral health department strained by an increasing number of veterans seeking help. In a July 24 e-mail, all four of the department's psychiatrists and one psychiatric nurse practitioner said they would refuse to accept new patients." The employees "said they could not add to their caseloads, which they said in some cases were more than 70 percent above the VA standard." The "stand came amid increasing concern across the nation about the mental health of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and after a spike in suicides last year among veterans in the Spokane area."

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/...atric-staffing/

SOURCE: http://www.veteranstoday.com/article8273.html