Dad, brother of Navy veteran sue VA over his suicide

August 20, 2011 in City
Dad, brother of Navy veteran sue VA over his suicide
Kevin Graman The Spokesman-Review

The father and brother of a Navy veteran who killed himself three years ago are suing the federal government, alleging negligence by the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The death of Lucas Senescall, 26, on July 7, 2008, came amid a spike in the number of suicides by Spokane-area veterans.

From July 2007 to July 2008, 21 veterans in the Spokane VA service area killed themselves, including 14 who’d had contact with the medical center, according to Department of Veterans Affairs records.

Senescall, who had a history of mental health problems, sought help from the medical center’s behavioral health unit before returning to his Spokane home and hanging himself.

Steve Senescall accompanied his son to the medical center that day and witnessed Lucas’ interaction with VA staff members. The veteran’s brother, Jake Senescall, discovered his body.
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VA Psychiatrists go public with crisis in patient care case loads

VA doctors protest ‘crisis’
Hospital adds to staff as psychiatrists complain patient caseloads threaten care
Kevin Graman
kevingr@spokesman.com

Amid a revolt by its staff psychiatrists, the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center has begun expanding a behavioral health department strained by an increasing number of veterans seeking help.

In a July 24 e-mail, all four of the department’s psychiatrists and one psychiatric nurse practitioner said they would refuse to accept new patients. They said they could not add to their caseloads, which they said in some cases were more than 70 percent above the VA standard.

“We have an ethical obligation to be available to our patients for timely appointments and communications,” the e-mail said. “We are no longer able to fulfill these obligations to our huge caseloads, let alone offer this to the dozen new patients coming into the clinic each week.”
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VA doctors protest crisis