At least 100 veterans in Central Washington will lose access to their current mental-health services after a federal Veterans Affairs (VA) contract with local counseling providers expires June 30, according to counselors and local advocates.
The VA is not renewing its contract with Central Washington Veteran’s Counseling, a key resource for rural veterans seeking mental health support. This means the veterans will need to find other care instead of the counselors they have been going to in the past.
In a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, they tell us:
“VA’s contract, and extension, with Central Washington Veterans Counseling (CWVC) expired at the end of June, but the Seattle Washington Vet Center staff and other Vet Center staff members at nearby Vet Centers contacted the 63 affected Veterans to offer them counseling at a Vet Center or the Wenatchee Valley VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic. There has been no interruption in care.”
Additionally, the VA reallocated resources for a full-time Vet Center counselor to work five days a week in Wenatchee at the Douglas County Veterans Service Office. They are expected to onboard by mid-July.
Counselors say the loss will have immediate and serious consequences for those who rely on the services they have grown to trust.
“We’re going to triage who the highest risk are, then keep them in services as long as we can,” said Heather Hill, a counselor with Central Washington Veteran’s Counseling. “We have lost more vets to suicide than we have in combat—it’s devastating and it’s gross.”
Hill said rural counties like those in Central Washington already lack enough resources to meet veterans’ needs.
She noted that only one other therapist as of June 28th remains in the Wenatchee area who accepts VA patients, making access to care extremely limited.
James Cook, an Army veteran who retired in 2023 after deployments to Afghanistan and Africa, said the abrupt transition from combat zones to home life took a toll on his mental health.
“Going from worrying about if you’re gonna get mortared that evening to sleeping in a bed with your two little ones within a week is difficult,” Cook said.
He turned to Central Washington Veteran’s Counseling for help processing those challenges. Without that support, he and others fear many veterans will be left without options if they can’t go to the counselor they have already built trust with.
Hill described her work with veterans as both a calling and a mission. “Being able to step in and be that person to try to help them navigate the system and understand how their experiences have impacted their daily function is my purpose and passion,” she said.
Local organizations are stepping in to try to fill the gap.
The Bunker in Wenatchee, operated by NCW Vets Serving Vets, has already seen a rise in distressed veterans.
“We’ve had people come in here pretty distressed about the situation,” said Mark Harle of NCW Vets Serving Vets. “There’s too many people that need help and we know that.”
Cook said he’s doing what he can to connect fellow veterans with available support—even if it’s limited.
“Every veteran I talk to, we’re trying to open up the aperture of help and resources that are out there,” Cook said.