Does a Counseling Program for Female Vets Need to be Permanent? (H.R. 1575)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 1575?
(Updated July 21, 2017)
This bill would make permanent a pilot program that provides voluntary counseling to women veterans who were recently separated from military service in group retreat settings.
The program is run through the VA Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS), and would begin on a permanent basis on January 1, 2016.
It would provide information on reintegration into the community, family and employment, financial counseling, occupational counseling, plus information and counseling on stress reduction and conflict resolution.
There would be reports prepared by the VA to be provided to congressional committees governing veterans’ affairs every two years.
Argument in favor
While women have been taking on a greater role in the U.S. military, the mental health care available to them is lagging behind and needs to expand. This is a step in the right direction that can be built upon in the future.
Argument opposed
This counseling should be available to all women veterans — whether they recently separated from the military or if they left the Armed Forces decades ago. Including childcare would encourage more women veterans to use these services.
Impact
Women veterans who have recently separated from the military, the VA, congressional committees.
Cost of H.R. 1575
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: This legislation has gained support from several prominent veterans organizations including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Vietnam Veterans of America.
All three groups expressed robust support for this bill, but the VFW suggested expanding it to cover childcare to help facilitate the women veterans’ counseling, and Vietnam Veterans of America believes it should cover all women veterans, not just those who’ve recently separated from the service.
Of Note: Women now make up about 15 percent of America’s military, and as of 2012 more than 225,000 had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
A survey of women veterans who have served in the Armed Forces since 9/11 done by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America found that 70 percent of women veterans are enrolled in VA health care, and an equal proportion rated their service from the VA as fair, poor, or very poor. More importantly, less than half of the survey’s respondents felt that the VA treated female veterans with respect.
Media:
- American Legion (In Favor)
- Veterans of Foreign Wars (In Favor)
- Vietnam Veterans of America (In Favor)
- Disabled American Veterans (Context)
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (Context)
-
Forbes (Context)
Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user Minnesota National Guard)
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