As part of an effort to improve care and prevent veteran suicide, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it has exceeded its hiring goal of mental health providers by the thousands.
VA has filled almost 4,000 mental health positions nationwide since July 2017, and will continue to employ and keep these providers to meet demands and cultivate a talent pipeline, Secretary Robert Wilkie said June 14
“As outlined in the MISSION Act, VA will continue to recruit and retain the best health care providers to meet patient demand and provide quick access to mental health care,” he said in a statement. “Building a clinical trainee pipeline of qualified health care professionals is crucial to future VA recruitment and sustainment efforts.”
VA hosted its first-ever external virtual trainee hiring fair in which 74 mental health workers completed training and accepted positions at VA facilities. The agency is now planning a second internal virtual-trainee hiring event that would connect, match and retain current VA psychology trainees and slot them into available positions at VA facilities.