When Gulf War veteran Todd Foster was shot in the head while on duty as a Long Beach Highway Patrol officer, he was already suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a past deployment.

On separate occasions over the next several months, Foster would learn how difficult it was to receive mental health appointments with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"It seemed with each issue," said Foster, "I had to wait several weeks before receiving an initial appointment. It was only when I attempted suicide that I received immediate care."

This wasn't news to U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), who heard repeatedly from veterans that they weren't receiving timely care. Still, the VA claimed that patients with mental health needs received full evaluations for care within the department's required 14-day window.

Last month, Murray ordered an investigation which found that the VA underreported wait times for mental health care and that the average wait for an appointment was 40 days. According to the report, VA discrepancies resulted from a combination of inaccurate and unreliable data, staffing shortages and increased workloads, among others.  

"I was extremely disappointed," said Murray, "but I had already heard enough from veterans to know the investigator's report was dead on. It's so hard for veterans to ask for help, and when they do they're told they have to wait. Responding quickly and accurately to mental health needs is critical."

Army veteran Leighann Trodahl knows too well the importance of timely mental healthcare. Like Foster, she faced numerous delays in treatment for depression and several other healthcare issues surrounding an injury she suffered while deployed.

"After getting the runaround," said Trodahl, "I contacted Senator Murray and she really helped me get the care I so desperately needed."

According to Murray, the VA will be hiring mental health providers and support staff and restructuring the data collection and reporting infrastructure to improve performance and provide reliable information. In upcoming months, veterans should expect to see more providers, programs and resources dedicated to meeting the growing demand for mental health care at the VA. The senator is also advocating for more funding for such programs. 

"I will be following very carefully the proposed changes and staying on top of the VA," she said. "I'll ensure we have qualified professionals in the regions where they need to be."

"After 10 years of intense war," added Murray, "we've put a burden on our Soldiers to serve, so we have to do more to help them. I (won't) stop until every Soldier and veteran is getting the help they need in a timely manner."

Despite the challenges faced by Foster and Trodahl, both said they eventually received top-notch care from the local VA.

"They can only go so fast," said Foster. "I appreciate the job the American Lake VA did - they were fabulous people who were sincere and really made a difference."

Trodahl concurred. "The staff at American Lake were great," she said. "They really did care."