(Washington, D.C.) - 2nd District Congressman Rudy Yakym is pushing legislation to streamline veterans’ access to mental healthcare.
This week, Yakym introduced a resolution requiring the VA to give vets quicker access to mental health assistance. The Sergeant Ted Grubbs Mental Healthcare for Disabled Veterans Act requires the VA to lower their Designated Access Standards to five days for mental healthcare for veterans who have a disability rating above 50 percent for a mental health disorder.
Yakym's bill is named after a 2nd District veteran who returned home from duty with service-connected complex PTSD resulting from a brain injury. In the wake of an urgent mental health crisis, Grubbs was told by the VA that the soonest in-person appointment they could offer was more than two months away.
"Veterans like Sergeant Ted Grubbs represent the best of America - the very least we can do is make sure they get the help they need in a timely manner, especially when it comes to addressing mental health challenges," said Congressman Yakym. "I am proud to lead this effort on behalf of Ted and countless veterans like him to make sure we give those who served more timely options for mental healthcare."
Area Veteran Service Officers support the bill. “I have seen firsthand the negative repercussions of slow response times for many of the veterans in my county for mental health screening and assistance," said Miami County Veteran Service Officer Jay Kendall.
Marshall County Veteran Service Officer Pam Schweizer-Betz agrees. "Rep. Yakym's legislation will help veterans with acute mental health challenges receive care more quickly than they are currently,” she said, “which in itself will go a long way towards preventing these veterans from reaching the point of crisis in the first place."
