Creating Options for Veterans Expedited Recovery (COVER) Commission Veterans Focus Groups: Mental Health Services Preferences and Utilization Data Collection

The COVER Commission, established as required by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA), Section 931 (Public Law 114-198), is charged to meet the duties outlined within the legislation. The legislation, Section 931(b)(2), specifically states that the COVER Commission is to conduct a patient-centered survey within each of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks. The instrument will collect qualitative information from Veterans seeking and utilizing mental health services through VA and non-VA facilities. The Commission’s purpose is to examine the evidence-based therapy treatment model used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for treating mental health conditions of Veterans and the potential benefits of incorporating complementary and integrative health treatments available in non-Department facilities. There are 5 identified duties that the Commission is tasked to evaluate and provide recommendations to the President of the United States, House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees and the Secretary of VA eighteen months after the establish of the Commission, which will be December 2019. The Commission is requesting approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a focus group protocol to meet the charges outlined under Duty 2 in the legislation (bolded in table below). The instrument will collect qualitative information from Veterans seeking and utilizing mental health services through VA and non-VA facilities that is not available anywhere else. The survey will be conducted in Focus Group sessions held in each VISN, with 8-10 participants in each session selected from Veterans who volunteer to participate. The main purpose of the focus group discussions is to hear from Veterans about the kinds of outpatient, inpatient, residential, complementary and integrative health (CIH) treatments of mental health concerns (e.g., PTSD, depression, substance use disorder including opioid use, or any other mental health issues) they are receiving or have received in the past at VA or non-VA facilities. The participants will also be asked to discuss their experiences and preferences regarding mental health treatment options, challenges related to seeking mental healthcare, and any suggestions for improvement of services. Each session will last approximately 2 hours.

The latest form for Creating Options for Veterans Expedited Recovery (COVER) Commission Veterans Focus Groups: Mental Health Services Preferences and Utilization Data Collection expires 2022-06-30 and can be found here.