*VA prepares for increase in war-related ailments (10/4/04)

VA prepares for increase in war-related ailments
WATI000020041013e0a400030
NATION
Joyce Howard Price, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
693 Words
04 October 2004
The Washington Times
A06
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Veterans Affairs hospitals are gearing up for a surge in mental- health disorders and other medical problems in the coming years, as U.S. combat troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Already, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has sent letters to 168,000 returning troops, informing them of the range of care available through the government.

"These are people who served in the military but who have been discharged, so now they are ours," VA spokesman Phil Budahn said.

Services available include psychiatric and psychological programs at each outpatient clinic, including counseling and other group and individual therapy, increased substance-abuse programs, and even beds in community centers for veterans who are homeless.


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