Ted Blickwedel, originally from Emporium, made it his mission to bring awareness to what was happening within the walls of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vet Centers and ensure corrective action was taken so that quality care for veterans’ mental health and counselor welfare did not continue to be compromised. He blew the whistle, worked with legislators to introduce bills in the House and Senate, and has now released the tell-all book, “Broken Promises — Marine Combat Veteran Turns Whistleblower Exposing Compromised Mental Health Care for Veterans at VA.”
Blickwedel will make a stop at the Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library, 27 West 4th St., Emporium, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 15, to speak about his experiences and his new book. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Blickwedel is a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and Persian Gulf War combat veteran. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a masters degree in education (rehabilitation counseling), and a masters of social work.
As an advocate for the health of veterans and the wellbeing of those who care for them, Blickwedel encourages everyone to attend this presentation, “In general, anyone who cares about our nation’s veterans and those who serve them should attend. But more specifically, veterans, the families of veterans, and the general public need to come — everyone needs to know and to be aware of what is going on in order to raise awareness.”
For veterans, the issue of quality mental healthcare is a priority. In recent years, the care veterans have been receiving has been under siege. Too, caregivers and clinicians are strained, overwhelmed by the demands of a disjointed system.
“It’s got to stop,” said Blickwedel.
For nine years, from 2009 to 2018, Blickwedel worked as a clinical social worker for the VA at the Warnick, RI Vet Center. He was one of the clinicians who conducted individual and group therapy with combat veterans. Over the years, Blickwedel watched as the productivity metrics were calibrated higher, which decreased counselors’ time with patients and their morale. Rather than focus on quality, the VA is focused on quantity.
Blickwedel could not sit back and watch the suffering of those who needed mental health counseling, nor could he watch the counselor suffer the overwhelming workloads forced on them. He launched an investigation with the help of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The encounter continues, based on a provided book description, readers will see how the GAO “substantiated my allegations, which resulted in Congressional legislation to correct this injustice as a consequence of my efforts” and “describes the unethical and vindictive retaliation I experienced during my advocacy crusade and the traumatic impact this has had on me, my family, colleagues and veterans.”
But Blickwedel urges readers to understand the point of the effort and how the legislation will change everything. “It is not about what happened to me so much as what happened to quality mental health for veterans and clinicians.”
To date no one in VA management has been held accountable for the retaliation against Blickwedel or others who have spoken truth to power about these issues. The legislation does not address holding anyone accountable for retaliation.
He explained, “The legislation will direct the VA with congressional and GAO oversight to monitor corrective action to ensure quality care for veterans is protected and the welfare of clinicians is not jeopardized due to excessive performance standards imposed on VA Vet Center counselors.”
Within the legislation there are new monitoring checks that will ensure quality standards, he explained, “There is a mechanism to monitor, based on anonymous feedback from the counselors in the field, to an electronic database that cannot be altered by any party.”
For those who read the book, reviews have described some parts as “gut wrenching,” yet Blickwedel said, “it ends on an inspiring note, it gives hope. The last part is like a blueprint of what to do, how to do it, advocate — anyone can take on the government and win. I tell you how to go about it with maximum effectiveness for a most favorable outcome.”
