Wounded Warrior Project Urges Subcommittee to Prioritize 'Bad Paper Discharge' Bill

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) submitted an official statement for the record to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health in response to H.R. 918, the Veterans Urgent Access to Mental Health Care Act. WWP is urging the Subcommittee to prioritize the mental health care needs of veterans with "bad paper discharge" and take time to fully address the challenges at hand.

In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, just more than three out of four (76.7 percent) wounded veterans who responded to the survey expressed they live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 40.6 percent reported they live with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Among veterans who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, approximately 23 percent reported sexual assault while in the military. Often, behavioral issues are what precede the diagnosis of these injuries and traumas. Treatment is necessary to help our veterans manage their injuries and lead happy, productive, and successful lives, where their service is a valued commodity and not a handicap to success.

In its official statement for the record, WWP agrees with the intent of H.R. 918 and believes it can be improved if given time to incorporate current challenges, additional input, and potential solutions. The statement can be read in its entirety here.

Learn more about WWP's policy efforts at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/policy-government-affairs.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project