The Division of Veterans Affairs has employed lots of and probably hundreds of individuals with felony data to look after veterans, which a brand new report from the Authorities Accountability Workplace says is placing veterans vulnerable to hurt. GAO’s report mentioned these workers have felony histories involving felony possession of a managed substance, which can be elevating the possibilities of drug theft on the company.
GAO estimated that about 1,800 workers on the VA’s Veterans Well being Administration (VHA) possible have not less than one felony conviction for possession of a managed substance. That estimate relies on a statistical evaluation of a portion of the greater than 12,000 VHA staff who present “indications” of prior convictions.
When GAO did a deeper dive into 305 of these VHA workers, it discovered that fifty of them had “yet another managed substance-related felony convictions.”
In some circumstances, these workers are employed and proceed to work carefully with veterans even after their previous turns into recognized. In a single case GAO uncovered, a present worker was convicted of felony distribution of cocaine in 1997.
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A brand new report from a federal watchdog says the Division of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Well being Administration is failing to run correct background checks on the well being workers it hires, an issue that has stretched again for years. ( Johannes Eisele / AFP through Getty Photographs)
“VHA acquired details about this conviction through a felony historical past document in August 2018 and employed the worker as a nursing assistant in September 2018,” GAO mentioned. “As of September 2022, the worker continues to work at VHA as a nursing assistant.”
In one other case, the VHA was conscious {that a} job candidate had been convicted 4 occasions of felony possession of cocaine between 1996 and 2001. The VHA acquired that data in Could 2010 and employed that individual in June 2010 as a scholar trainee. That staffer remains to be onboard as a well being technician.
And in a 3rd case, GAO discovered that a person employed as of final fall as a pharmacy technician regardless of a conviction for felony possession and sale of hydrocodone, an opioid used to deal with ache. VHA realized of this conviction in 2006 and employed this staffer in 2007.
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The VA, run by Secretary Denis McDonough, agreed with GAO’s findings and mentioned it might start the work of establishing a vetting course of for employees. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool through AP)
GAO concluded that VHA has no management processes in place to take details about previous drug convictions of potential workers and use that data to evaluate whether or not these convictions make them ineligible to work carefully with veterans. It additionally discovered that “some VHA workers didn’t have accomplished background investigations as required.”
“VHA lacks assurance that workers with undisclosed felony historical past or different adversarial data are correctly vetted and dangers hiring unsuitable people who might pose a danger to veterans,” GAO mentioned.
VHA can be failing to adjust to federal legislation that requires it to get a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) earlier than hiring workers members with drug-related felony convictions.
“VHA would not have a waiver coverage and did not persistently request them, so VHA’s screening course of might overlook people who might pose dangers to veterans,” GAO mentioned. “We recommended VHA implement a coverage concerning these employment waivers to guard veterans.”
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The GAO cited three particular examples of workers with prior convictions for cocaine or opioid possession who proceed to work on the VA right now. (ALASTAIR PIKE/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Of the 50 workers GAO discovered with previous felony convictions, VHA admitted it hadn’t sought a DEA wavier for 48 of them and didn’t verify whether or not a waiver had been searched for the opposite two.
Apart from defending veterans, the DEA waiver would assist VHA keep away from the state of affairs of placing somebody with a drug conviction right into a job that offers them entry to the identical managed substances. GAO mentioned that complying with federal legislation would assist VHA “management in opposition to theft and diversion of managed substances.”
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GAO’s report mentioned VHA officers agreed with their 14 suggestions, which embody setting a timetable for placing a background test and waiver course of in place. None of these steps has been accomplished but.
