Alexandria, Va., December 12, 2008 - U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), on December 11, 2008, sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary James Peake, M.D., voicing his concerns about the delay in implementing provisions from the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act (P.L. 106-491), that allows the Department to hire licensed mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists as authorized mental health providers.
The letter urged the VA to increase the number of qualified mental health specialists, specifically mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, to improve access to quality care for veterans. Salazar, a strong supporter of the legislation when it passed in 2006, also pointed to the overall shortage of mental health providers in rural areas, which has also reduced access to mental health services for veterans.
Colorado and its veterans have especially been affected by the delay in implementation of the legislation due to the number of rural communities in the state, where there are more than 3,715 professional counselors. In the letter, Salazar states, "After two long years, we cannot tolerate and our veterans cannot afford further delays to the full implementation of P.L. 106-491."
AMHCA, the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) worked with Salazar's staff on drafting the letter to Secretary Peake.