Mental health bill finds new urgency after Camp Liberty tragedy

Mental health bill finds new urgency

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 14, 2009 13:53:13 EDT

Monday’s shooting of five American service members at a mental health counseling center in Baghdad has brought new attention to a bill introduced March 3 to spend more on mandatory, confidential mental health screening for all deployed service members.

The short-term goal is a $300 million increase in mental health funding, which could be used to do screening before, during and after deployments to identify people under stress and get them early treatment.

HR 1308, the Veterans’ Mental Health Screening and Assessment Act of 2009, deals only with mandatory post-deployment screening by trained and licensed professionals within 90 days of a service member’s return to the U.S. Screening would be done face-to-face by defense or veterans mental health professionals.

The bill is pending before the House veterans affairs and armed services committees, which both have a say in approval.

Reps. Michael McMahon, D-N.Y., and Thomas Rooney, R-Fla., original sponsors of HR 1308, are now leading a bigger effort that involves an appeal to the House Appropriations Committee for more mental health funding in the 2010 defense budget.
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Mental health bill finds new urgency