What State Budget puts "funds for vets' PTSD treatment on chopping block"

Wolf puts funds for vets' PTSD treatment on chopping block

CNHI News Service 
By John Finnerty
1 hr ago

HARRISBURG — The state Legislature set aside $750,000 to help veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the 2017-18 budget.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2018-19 budget proposal would eliminate the program even before it’s rolled out.

Wolf’s budget proposes an 8 percent increase in total spending for the state Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, but it zeroes out the money allocated on the new behavioral health support for veterans.

Joseph Butera, a spokesman for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said the department has not yet completed an outline for how the money allocated for the current budget year would be used.

Butera also said that the money for PTSD services had been included in the budget by the Legislature and while the governor’s spending plan doesn’t call for another year of funding for it, the administration hasn’t ruled it out either.

Butera said the administration can’t say how many people stand to benefit from the spending because the department hasn’t even figured out how exactly it proposes to spend the money.
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