Science

Atlanta VA Expands Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

August 29th, 2013

Military members used to work at Fort McPherson before it closed as a military installation. Now, it’s somewhere they can receive treatment. The Atlanta VA Medical Center has just expanded its mental health and substance abuse services in a renovated clinic located on the former army base in East Point.

Dr. Michael Martin gives a tour of the new 75,000 square foot clinic located at Fort McPherson.

“We have two psychiatrists, two psychologists, two social workers and two nurses, and then me as the administrator. We have two group rooms.

Martin is a psychologist and a clinical director of mental health services for the Atlanta VA.

“He says the new facility allows the Atlanta VA to serve a thousand more veterans in its mental health case load.

“This will definitely expand our mental health access. We’ve hired more providers, we’re doing more services, and that includes a full range of mental health services.”

The expansion has been in the works since the VA acquired Fort McPherson in 2011, but it also follows two recent inspector general reports linking three patient deaths to mismanagement in the center’s mental health programs. Among the concerns were the amount of veterans waiting to receive outpatient mental health care. Martin says the new facility which began seeing patients in July will help alleviate those issues.

“Our maximum standard set by Washington is every veteran seen in 14 days. We are far exceeding that right now. We’re getting people in really quickly.”

The new center will also focus on treating veterans with substance abuse issues. Dr. Reed Pitre is the clinic’s medical director for substance abuse treatment programs. He says the programs will assist the growing number of veterans from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also says it will help homeless veterans.

“75 percent of the veterans we treat in our substance abuse programs are homeless, so there’s a huge overlap between folks who are homeless and those who have substance abuse issues. The programs we have here are specifically designed to help give coping skills, life skills, so it’s a combination together to help take care of all these folks who are having these issues.”

By November, the facility hopes to open 40 beds where veterans can stay as they receive treatment as well as housing and job assistance. It also plans to offer primary care as early as next month.