The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it met its goal of hiring 1,600 new mental health professionals as called for in an August 2012 executive order.
The VA said it also has hired 2,005 mental health clinical providers to fill existing vacancies, as well as 318 new peer specialists towards the specific goal of 800 peer specialists by December 31, 2013 – also outlined in the order.
The department recently came under intense scrutiny in the House because of longstanding delays in processing disability claims and tackling its claims backlog. Legislation is under consideration to freeze VA executive bonuses for five years.
Meanwhile, the department, which is not subject to sequestration budget cuts, recently announced it would require employees to work overtime hours to address some claims issues. It is also trying to be more proactive in communicating accomplishments in regard to veterans’ services, claims processing and systems modernization efforts – among other mission goals.
