Trump’s V.A. Squeezes Mental Health Care in Crowed Offices, Raising Privacy Concerns

Trump’s V.A. Squeezes Mental Health Care in Crowed Offices, Raising Privacy Concerns

In a Boston V.A. hospital, six social workers are conducting phone and telehealth visits with veterans from a single, crowded room, clinicians say. In Kansas City, providers are planning patient care while facing each other across narrow, cafeteria-style tables in a large, open space, according to staff members. And in South Florida, psychiatric nurses have … Read more

Inside the Turmoil at the V.A. Mental Health System Under Trump

Inside the Turmoil at the V.A. Mental Health System Under Trump

Late in February, as the Trump administration ramped up its quest to transform the federal government, a psychiatrist who treats veterans was directed to her new workstation — and was incredulous. She was required, under a new return-to-office policy, to conduct virtual psychotherapy with her patients from one of 13 cubicles in a large open … Read more

Citing Trump’s Order, V.A. Halts Most Transgender Care

Citing Trump’s Order, V.A. Halts Most Transgender Care

The Department of Veterans Affairs is phasing out gender-affirming medical treatments for veterans, including hormone treatment for patients newly diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the V.A. announced on Monday. The V.A. will continue hormone treatment for veterans who currently receive it or were receiving it when they separated from the military. The rationale is that abrupt … Read more