Veterans Affairs Clinical Resource Hubs and Rates of Mental Health Community Care Referrals.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

In an effort to increase access to care, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has created 2 additional pathways for veterans to receive mental health (MH) services: regional VA Clinical Resource Hubs (CRHs) and VA-purchased community care (CC). Previous studies have found that veterans rate their satisfaction with VA MH care, including via CRHs, higher than CC. It is unclear whether increased CRH use decreases referrals to CC.

Objective

To determine whether clinics with higher CRH utilization have fewer CC referrals or, alternatively, whether clinics with local care shortages rely on both CRH and CC at similar levels to ensure adequate access to MH care.

Design, setting, and participants

This longitudinal cohort study included all veterans with at lea

SUBMITTER: Connolly SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12949438 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature