Indianapolis, Indiana

For three months, Duncan was the front-door receptionist at a local center for veterans with mental-health issues. When she wasn’t checking vets in for appointments, she answered their phone calls. One caller, in a panic, said he was having severe hallucinations. “I kept him on that phone for over an hour until a therapist was available to him,” Duncan told a reporter for the New York Times.

She was fired on Valentine’s Day, along with about 2,400 other VA workers regarded as nonessential by the new administration. Since then, Duncan reports, therapists have been asked to staff the front desk when they can. At other times, the desk is empty and the front door is locked. A sign on the door tells visitors to call their counselors and leave a voicemail message.

Date Posted: 3/10/25