Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) recently added herself as an original cosponsor to a bill that would create a fast-track, hiring process for psychiatrists who train at Veterans Affairs facilities.
The proposed bill, The Expedited Hiring for VA Trained Psychiatrists Act, introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), has strong bipartisan support.
“When I meet with veterans in Washington and back home, mental health continues to be a top concern,” Jenkins said. “Post-traumatic stress disorder is a silent, deadly affliction many of our brave veterans are dealing with every day. This bill is just one step toward quickly getting these brave men and women the help they need, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor.”
The bill aims to reduce the wait times for veterans seeking to access mental health services by reducing the time it takes to fill the critical positions. It is endorsed by American Veterans for Equal Rights, Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Retired Enlisted Association, the Blinded Veterans Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“We have a responsibility to do all we can to make sure the brave men and women who served get the care they need and deserve when they return,” Cartwright said. “This legislation simply speeds up the process for recruiting trained, talented mental health professionals into a career caring for the invisible wounds of our nation’s veterans.”