Gov. Martin O?Malley?s administration wants $3.5 million to provide short-term mental health services for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
But legislative analysts recommend the funding be cut in half because the services are fundamentally a federal responsibility and the estimates of the veterans needing the treatment are too high.
“We still have some work to do” to get the money, said Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, an Iraq war veteran who is the administration?s point man on the veterans mental health initiative. “We?re going to work with the appropriations committees.”
Brown testified for the program before the House Health and Government Operations Committee on Thursday, where he found a responsive audience.
“We need to do something for our veterans,” said Del. Joanne Benson, a Prince George?s Democrat whose late husband found it difficult accessing services after his service in Vietnam.
The proposed $3.5 million adds six state employees as well as contract services to provide crisis intervention and short-term mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Brown said the program is a short-term bridge to get service personnel to treatment by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department, not to replace those services. The problem is lack of funding and accessibility for those VA programs, he said, particularly due to the distance to these services in rural areas.
The state health department estimates that there are about 15,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan living in Maryland, and about a third of them could use mental health and substance abuse services. There is a particularly high incidence of post-traumatic stress syndrome.
The Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs said there are about 4,300 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans enrolled with the federal VA health system, and there is no waiting list for services at the VA.
Del. Mary-Dulany James, who chairs the appropriations subcommittee on health and human services, said, “The VA has been shirking their responsibility.”
Maryland should provide these services and then get reimbursed by Congress, James said. “Congress ought to step up to the plate.”
