Psychological services address issues such as PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual trauma. RCS reported that nearly 283,000 new veteran clients visited Vet Centers during fiscal years 1993 through 1995. First, many veterans have social concerns that can be addressed in three or fewer visits with staff. Vet Center staff may draw on their own resources to assist with these problems or may refer clients to other VA and non-VA programs, thus limiting the number of visits needed. As a result, the core group of veterans who use the largest portion of Vet Centers’ staff resources are not readily identifiable, and managers and supervisors may lack information needed to oversee the program and monitor staff activities. Furthermore, the workload reporting system does not collect information to determine how Vet Center staff resources are used. However, some clients’ records are not well documented, and RCS has not developed a systematic approach for demonstrating that the Vet Center program is effective, on a continuing basis, in meeting the psychological needs of its clients. When compared with medical centers, Vet Centers serve different roles, purposes, and benefits by being located in small, community-based storefront facilities; providing care to all veterans who served during the authorized eras of conflict without regard to their income (generally, to receive free medical center services for non-service-connected illness, veterans must have incomes below a specified amount); providing counseling to veterans’ family members and significant others to assist with the veterans’ readjustment (medical centers seldom include others in veterans’ treatment); providing counseling for social and economic needs such as employment and VA benefits, which is generally not provided by medical centers; performing outreach activities to identify veterans who could benefit from Vet Center or other VA services (medical centers perform little or no outreach); establishing close ties with local service providers and linking veterans with the services they need; hiring a staff of team leaders and counselors of whom about 60 percent are veterans of Vietnam and later conflicts; and if needed, working with veterans for longer periods than medical centers generally do. A Program Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Programs.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Vet Center program, focusing on: (1) the individuals served and the services provided; and (2) VA methodology for determining whether Vet Center services are appropriate and effective.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) vet centers help certain veterans make a successful transition from military to civilian life; (2) vet center services range from assistance with basic needs and benefits to drug and alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling; (3) veterans who have more serious psychological problems, such as PTSD, visit vet centers more often than veterans with employment or benefit concerns; (4) about 283,000 new clients used vet centers during fiscal years 1993 through 1995; (5) many veterans have social concerns that can be addressed by other VA and non-VA programs, thus limiting the number of center visits needed; (6) client visits are generally recorded accurately in the workload reporting system, but program managers and supervisors lack the information needed to oversee the program and monitor staff activities and resources; and (7) VA has established standards for determining whether treatment plans are appropriate, but it has not developed a systematic approach for demonstrating that vet center services are effective in meeting veterans' psychological needs.