The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer urgent mental health care beginning this summer to thousands of former service members with less-than-honorable discharges, part of its expanded initiative to stem stubbornly high rates of suicide. VA Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday the additional coverage was needed to help former service members who are more likely to have mental health distress. By June or July, the VA said it will specifically provide the mental health care to those with "other than honorable" discharges from the military, typically for misconduct such as violence or use of illegal drugs. The VA is also seeking to hire 1,000 more mental health providers and establish strong hubs to reach veterans with mental health assistance by phone in rural parts of the country. The Army has dismissed at least 22,000 combat veterans diagnosed with mental health disabilities or traumatic brain injury for alleged misconduct since 2009.

Source: Fox News March 09, 2017 00:57 UTC