Veteran Barriers to Mental Health

Abstract

This study explores whether master’s-level therapists and doctoral-level psychologists in California receive meaningfully different training for providing mental health care—and what that means for Veterans’ access to treatment. Although psychologists are often preferred for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) positions, both doctoral and master’s programs require nearly identical coursework, clinical hours, and supervision. Using data from 32 APA-accredited doctoral programs, the research found that 28 programs (87.5%) award a master’s degree in psychology after students complete their core clinical courses and practicum hours before finishing the dissertation. Both California licensing boards, the Board of Psychology (BOP) and the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), require 3000 supervised clinical hours and define competence by training and experience, not by degree level. These findings indicate that the doctoral dissertation is an academic research project rather than a clinical training requirement. As a result, doctoral and master’s graduates enter the field with equivalent preparation for therapy, assessment, and ethical practice. However, VA employment policies that limit many positions to doctoral-level clinicians restrict the available workforce and delay access to care. If qualified master’s-level therapists were recognized as eligible providers, California’s Veteran mental health workforce could expand by more than 60%, reducing appointment wait times and improving continuity of care. The study concludes that adopting competency-based licensure and hiring standards, rather than degree-based distinctions, may strengthen the mental-health system and better serve the needs of Veterans.