Pathways and Barriers to Care for LGBT Veterans in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Abstract

To assess the perceived needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Veterans when they engage in counseling services through the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA), psychologists working in VHA were reached through an online survey as well as an open-ended question that asked psychologists to offer their thoughts about the needs of LGBT Veterans in VHA and current VHA resources. Their answers were content analyzed to determine what lessons can be learned from their experiences with LGBT Veterans in the VHA system. Four major themes emerged: Concern about the current culture of the medical facilities as a whole (Veterans, staff, environment), concern for the safeguarding of privacy and dignity of clients through the electronic medical record when writing counseling progress notes, need for training of counselors, and need for resources for counselors and Veterans.