Article: VA Paid $11.2M for Undelivered Services
VA Paid $11.2M for Undelivered Services
PHOTO CAPTION: A U.S. Air Force suicide-prevention image highlights the importance of seeking help during a crisis. Veterans in crisis can dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. U.S. Air Force photo by Joshua J. Seybert.
The Department of Veterans Affairs paid about $11.2 million for backup responder services for the Veterans Crisis Line that were never provided, according to a new inspector general review.
The VA Office of Inspector General said the payments continued even after department officials became aware that a replacement subcontractor was unable to perform the work because it had not met federal security requirements, lacked enough staff and had not properly trained its responders.
The findings center on a $32.5 million contract supporting the Veterans Crisis Line, which provides confidential suicide-prevention assistance around the clock to veterans regardless of enrollment in VA health care or benefits.
Under the contract, the backup provider was required to answer at least 10% of Veterans Crisis Line calls during normal operations. During an emergency, it was supposed to be capable of answering all calls routed to it.
The original subcontractor responsible for those backup services stopped performing the work. That portion of the contract represented roughly $20.5 million, or 63% of its total value.
A replacement subcontractor was then brought in, but investigators found it could not begin providing the required services because it had not satisfied federal information-security requirements and did not have enough employees.
The contractor also failed to train call responders to meet the terms of the agreement, according to the OIG.
VA officials learned about the problems within months of the replacement subcontractor taking over, but continued approving payments for nearly a year, investigators found.
Because the contracted backup services were not delivered, the inspector general questioned the entire $11.2 million paid during that period.
The OIG has recommended that VA consult with its Office of General Counsel to determine whether the department should attempt to recover the money. That recommendation remains open.
Investigators also called for stronger procedures to ensure information-security requirements are properly identified before contracts involving sensitive information are awarded. VA concurred with the first recommendation and concurred in principle with the second.
The review focused specifically on the contracted backup responder services, not the entire Veterans Crisis Line operation. The OIG report does not say that the Veterans Crisis Line itself stopped operating during the period in question.
The Veterans Crisis Line remains available 24 hours a day. Veterans in crisis or anyone concerned about a veteran can call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or use the service’s confidential online chat.
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General
