An Act Regarding Mental Health Care for Maine Veterans

Sec. 1. 37-B MRSA §516  is enacted to read:

§ 516.  Provision and coordination of mental health care

Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF

Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services

Initiative: Provides ongoing funding to provide grants to providers of mental health services to veterans residing in the State.

GENERAL FUND	2017-18	2018-19
All Other	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$1,000,000	$1,000,000

SUMMARY

This bill directs the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans’ Services within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management to station at each of the bureau’s field offices a social worker to provide direct mental health care to veterans, to coordinate mental health care for veterans and to work with the Federal Government and state and local mental health service providers to provide mental health care to veterans. It also requires the director to administer a program to provide grants to providers of mental health services to veterans and appropriates ongoing funds of $1,000,000 annually for the program.