Mental-health facility in Walla Walla works for veterans

WALLA WALLA — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans Tuesday to build a residential rehabilitation facility focused on mental-health care at Southeast Washington's Walla Walla VA Medical Center, which serves 69,000 veterans in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Details about the proposed $6.7 million facility are still being developed, but the announcement comes as welcome news for a community that just two years ago had been staving off the center's closure.

"This project supports VA's commitment to provide for the health-care needs of Washington's veterans and recognizes the importance of mental health as an issue for our veterans," Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. James Peake said.

Peake made the announcement Tuesday morning after touring the medical center and meeting with staff members and patients. In the afternoon, nearly 300 area veterans and their families learned of the announcement at a meeting with Peake and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, R-Spokane.

The availability of mental-health care for veterans nationwide has been of increasing concern as more soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress and other disorders.

Plans call for a 22,000-square-foot facility with 36 beds encompassing various levels of mental-health care, including homeless and employment services, substance-abuse treatment, psychosocial support and re-entry from incarceration.