As received from Heather Hill, Central WA Veterans Counseling:
Mr. Bucholtz and Vet Center Leadership –
Central Washington is facing a deadly crisis—one born not of sudden catastrophe, but of a long-standing failure to adequately support the mental health needs of our veteran community. The tragic loss of three young girls at the hands of their father, Army veteran Travis Decker, is not an isolated event. It is the most recent and devastating example of what happens when veteran-specific support systems break down. This is the collateral damage of inaction despite consistent and continued advocacy for increased services since 2020.
We are now just 22 days from the termination of the Central Washington Vet Center contract on June 30, 2025. While we understand a three-month extension is under consideration (not guaranteed) , that is not a solution—it is a delay tactic. Worse, it only applies to veterans who are already being seen. That leaves dozens of combat veterans—those already vetted and deemed eligible—without the life-saving care they urgently need.
This is unacceptable.
- 17 combat veterans are being temporarily supported through non-profit emergency funds after state-level budget cuts.
- 22 additional veterans remain on a waitlist, unable to access any support.
- Our local VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) has stopped making referrals, knowing our contract is ending and that we lack the funding capacity to meet demand.
And now, a veteran’s untreated mental health condition has resulted in a mass tragedy. The warning signs were not subtle. We have been sounding the alarm for years:
- 2022: Law enforcement-involved shooting during Apple Blossom Festival
- 2023: Shooting at the VA Clinic/Eastmont overpass
- 2025: The unthinkable—three innocent children murdered by their father
This isn’t just a policy issue. This is a matter of life and death. Yet, despite consistent, direct pleas from our community, Vet Center leadership has not only failed to act—they reduced services in March 2024, knowing:
- Our local VA clinic had no therapists – hasn’t since 2023
- Community mental health services were already overwhelmed
- Telehealth was an insufficient substitute for veterans in trauma
You told Congresswoman Schrier’s office in 2024 that the new contract would be released by the end of that year. It is now June 2025, and nothing has materialized. This delay, attributed to “additional oversight,” has resulted in deadly consequences. This is not about partisanship or leadership changes—this is about a system that has failed to deliver on its promise.
You have made decisions about mental health care for veterans without the lived experience of combat, trauma, or military life. That disconnection is proving fatal.
Let’s be clear:
- Veterans experience Complex PTSD at rates up to 30%, compared to 1–4% in the general population
- Many suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI), substance use, and moral injury
- These require specialized, in-person support—not virtual band-aids
The Yakima Vet Center sends a therapist only twice a month. In winter, that support stops completely due to weather and travel barriers, leaving our rural and aging veterans without access to any care. Telehealth is not a viable substitute in these cases, and multiple studies back this up.
Executive leadership at the Vet Center for the Pacific Northwest has not only failed to meet the demand—but actively abandoned the mission they swore to uphold.
This is systemic neglect. And now, innocent lives are gone—not just veterans, but children. Survivors in our community, both veteran and civilian, are experiencing renewed trauma and re-traumatization. The ripple effects are wide, and the damage is ongoing.
We are calling on you to:
- Immediately approve and fund the pending contract extension, and
- Expand funding to include the 22 veterans currently on the waitlist, as well as the 17 being temporarily funded through private donations
- Expand funding to meet the needs of the Veteran community in Central Washington who are now seeking services as a direct result of the loss of life Decker’s three young daughters.
In December 2024, you, Mr. Bucholtz assured Congresswoman Schrier’s Central Washington Manager, Ruby Gaston, that “every Vet Center-eligible Veteran in the Wenatchee Valley will receive care in their preferred format, and no one will be waitlisted.” That promise has been broken. Boldly. Publicly. Tragically.
We are 22 days from losing all services in Central Washington. You have the power to act. You have the power to prevent further loss of life. You have the opportunity to rise to this moment and champion the care our veterans urgently need—or risk reinforcing the deeply rooted perception that the VA system is so unresponsive that it drives veterans into despair, with tragic consequences.
The violence is escalating. Your response must escalate with it.
I know there is a potential of retaliation or further lack of response with sending this email, however, we are no longer in a place where we fear retaliation. What we fear more is the regret of remaining silent when we could have spoken for those who cannot speak for themselves.
The Vet Center program was originally designed to deliver community-based, peer-led mental health support to veterans—services provided without bureaucratic barriers, without the requirement for a formal medical diagnosis, and most importantly, delivered by other veterans who understand firsthand the cost of service. Unfortunately, that mission has been obscured.
Today, Central Washington Veterans Counseling operates with 7 subcontractors—5 of whom are veterans, 4 of whom are disabled veterans (with one pending a VA decision), and 2 who served in combat. This work is not abstract for us. These are not just clients. They are our brothers and sisters, and the fight to protect access to care is personal.
To remain silent out of fear is to abandon those who rely on us. If we don’t stand up now, we risk living with the unbearable weight of wondering how many lives might have been saved— How many veterans might still be with us today—if action had been taken sooner?
There is no justification for failing to support our veterans. Contracted services have proven to be not only more cost-effective, but also more adaptable to the unique and urgent needs of our local veteran population. We have consistently delivered more with fewer resources than federally operated Vet Centers—this disparity is indefensible.
Please respond to this urgent, life-saving call. Engage and inform every necessary stakeholder to ensure the VA system mobilizes with the urgency this moment demands.
Central Washington is in crisis.
Heather J. Hill, LMHC
Central Washington Veterans Counseling
247 Chelan Avenue North
Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 667-8828
