The Subcommittee on Health will now come to order.  I would like to thank everyone for coming today.  We are here today to talk about the VA’s progress on meeting the mental health needs of our veterans. Specifically, we will discuss issues of funding and implementation of the Mental Health Strategic Plan and the Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook. 

Many people in this room are familiar with the daunting statistics on mental health from the April 2008 RAND Corporation report on the invisible wounds of war.  The RAND report estimated that of the 1.64 million OEF/OIF service-members deployed to date, about 300,000 or 18 percent suffer from PTSD or major depression and about 320,000 or 20 percent likely experienced TBI during deployment.  In addition, the report showed that despite our current efforts, about half of our service-members are not seeking and receiving the mental health treatment that they need.  This raises serious concerns about the long-term negative consequences of untreated mental health problems, not only for the affected individuals but also for their families, their communities, and our Nation as a whole. 

To address this problem, the VA has focused their efforts on improving mental health care for our veterans.  For example, the VA has set aside substantial funding for mental health care, which amount to $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2009.  The VA also approved a Mental Health Strategic Plan in November of 2004, which is a five year action plan with distinct mental health enhancement initiatives.   Additionally, I am aware of the 2008 Uniform Mental Health Service Handbook, which defines standard and minimum clinical requirements for mental health services that the VA will implement nationally. 

I applaud the VA on these efforts, and it is important for the Committee to ensure proper oversight.  Today’s hearing will explore the concerns raised in the 2006 GAO report which found that the VA spent less for mental health initiatives than planned and lacks the appropriate mechanism for tracking the allocated mental health funding.  We will also seek a better understanding of the successes and the challenges faced by the VA in implementing the Mental Health Strategic Plan and the Uniform Mental Health Service Handbook. 

Today, we will hear from various experts in the field including the Disabled American Veterans; Wounded Warrior Project; the Office of the Inspector General; and the VA.  I look forward to hearing their testimonies.