Review of Timeliness of Mental Health Community Care Appointments

VA Office of Inspector General · Report 25-03623-147 · August 10, 2026 · Office of Audits and Evaluations

What the OIG found

Using fiscal year 2025 data, the OIG tested whether community care mental health appointments met VHA’s seven-day consult scheduling standard and the contract metric for the appointment itself to occur within 30 days. Only five of 133 healthcare systems met the seven-day scheduling standard on average, while 128 averaged above it. About 80 percent of appointments did occur within 30 days, but veterans in the remaining 20 percent waited an average of 56 days. The OIG traced much of the delay to scheduling itself, including staff relying on phone calls and postal mail to reach veterans, difficulty contacting community providers, and providers not offering appointment types veterans wanted, and made six recommendations to improve scheduling.

Who it concerns

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Community Care Network — outpatient mental health appointments at 133 healthcare systems

Why it matters to a family

When a veteran is referred out for mental health care, a 56-day wait is a family problem too — relatives are often the ones watching for risk, pushing for the appointment, and holding things together in the meantime.

The official report

The OIG’s report page · Full report (PDF)

Summary ours; the report is the OIG’s. Read it at vaoig.gov →