PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Marines say the greatest weapon in their arsenal is a fighting spirit.
That’s certainly true for retired Lt. Col. Ted Blickwedel of Smithfield, who’s on the brink of seeing years of perseverance finally pay off.
Back in 2018, Blickwedel put a spotlight on combat veteran counselors being overworked and the negative impact it was having not only on them, but also those they serve.
Now, a piece of legislation he inspired may soon be up for a vote in Congress.
“I feel vindicated,” he said Tuesday.
According to Blickwedel, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Counseling Service had a policy mandating that counselors conduct 30 visits a week with veterans. He called that “unrealistic,” especially when treating veterans with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“You’re trying to process specific traumas that veterans have experienced in combat, and it can’t be accomplished within that 60-minute time frame,” Blickwedel told Target 12 at the time.
Blickwedel said counselors were getting burned out, which compromised the care they were providing. He claimed he faced a hostile work environment for questioning the caseload expectations. He retired three years earlier than planned as a result.
In 2018, he filed a formal complaint with the VA, which got the attention of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The following year, the GAO launched an investigation into the policy and found the VA’s counseling...
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