Army probes failing program following USA TODAY report

Gregg Zoroya | USA TODAY Opinion

Army leaders ordered inspections of all 54 of the service's substance abuse clinics in response to a USA TODAY report this week that half of out-patient treatment centers are operating at substandard levels and thousands of soldiers are denied the help they need.

Army Secretary John McHugh and Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, issued the directive "after learning of allegations that the (Army Substance Abuse Program) may not be providing adequate care to soldiers," Lt. Col. Benjamin Garrett, an Army spokesman, said in a statement Friday.

The Army Inspector General was told to conclude the examination of clinics across the United States, in Europe and in Southeast Asia within 90 days. McHugh and Odierno ordered unfettered access to "Army activities, personnel, locations, organizations and documents" to complete the investigation.

USA TODAY reported that the Army substance abuse treatment efforts have been in decline since 2010, when they were shifted from a medical to non-medical command.

At least five current staffers and the recently retired chief of clinical services for the Army Substance Abuse Program, Wanda Kuehr, provided documents to USA TODAY that show evidence of poor or borderline treatment methods at all but five of the clinics, USA TODAY reported.

In January, an Army auditing office began looking into the effectiveness of the program since it was transferred five years ago to the Installation Management Command, which operates garrisons, Garrett said.

The Army's decision to place the program under that command led to the exodus of veteran counselors and clinic directors, the hiring of unqualified replacements and a decline in counseling standards, according to interviews and the documents furnished to USA TODAY.

The Army estimates that since 2010, more than 90 soldiers committed suicide within three months of receiving substance abuse treatment for alcohol or drugs. There were at least 31 suicides among soldiers who received substandard care or were denied treatment, according to tabulations by the clinical staff. They did not link the deaths directly to poor counseling practices.

Brig. Gen. Jason Evans, an Installation Management deputy commander, denied that the program has declined or that thousands of soldiers have been improperly turned away. The command said Army hospitals, including substance abuse clinics nearby, are inspected every three years by a medical accreditation group, and few problems have been found.

Substance-abuse treatment staffers told USA TODAY that those inspections may overlook the clinics or fail to thoroughly review them.