VA may win boost in funding for mental conditions caused by war

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17133.html

VA may win boost in funding for mental conditions caused by war
By Chris Adams | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Congressional appropriators are pushing a huge increase in spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs, despite some resistance from the White House.

Prompted by concerns that the VA can't adequately care for soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as older veterans already in the system, Congress is instructing the VA to push more money toward treatment of mental health and traumatic brain injuries.

In recent days, appropriations bills for VA spending have moved through the House of Representatives and await a full-Senate vote. While there are slight differences between the bills, they call for a total of about $43 billion in health care and other discretionary VA funds — an increase of more than $6.5 billion, or about 18 percent, over the amount enacted for fiscal 2007, and substantially more than the president's proposal.

The White House last week said the congressional efforts involve an "excessive level of spending" and that the president's proposal of about $39 billion gives the VA "ample resources."

If Congress insists on increasing the VA budget, the White House said in a statement, it must cut other parts of the overall budget, ensuring that total spending remains under a certain level. If it doesn't, the president said he would veto other unspecified spending bills to bring the overall package in line.

But with broad support in both houses, Joseph A. Violante of the Disabled American Veterans said the VA budget appears safe. "Now we have to hold them accountable," he said.

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[qwlauren35]

1. I am SOOOOOOOOO Encouraged!!!

I hope that this amount will be spent appropriately, though.

In the back of my mind is this sick feeling that a large portion of the $39-43 billion will end up in the hands of the wrong people, and not in the hands of those who need it most.

I think what I'd like to see more than anything else is a series of mental health grants to medical schools and research centers to advance studies on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and increase the number of professionals trained to care for the mental health of our veterans.

I'd like to see similar grants in the field of social work to promote specialists in veteran vocational rehabilitation.

The reason I want the money directed in this way is in the hope that the cost of services will drop, or veterans will get free access to care.

I guess I'd also like to see mental health vouchers.