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An Act Regarding Mental Health Care for Maine Veterans
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  37-B MRSA §516  is enacted to read:
§ 516. Provision and coordination of mental health care
 
1.  Social workers assigned.     The director shall station at each of the bureau’s field offices a social worker who is an employee of the State, who shall both provide direct mental health care and coordinate mental health care for veterans. The social workers shall also work with the Federal Government and state and local providers to provide mental health care to veterans residing in the State.
 
2.  Grants to providers.     The director shall administer a program to provide grants to mental health service providers that provide mental health services to veterans residing in the State. Grants may be used by the mental health service providers to provide services only to veterans.
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.