| Obama seeks $7.2 billion for PTSD/TBI treatment By Bob Brewin, February 14, 2011 President Obama’s fiscal 2012 budget proposes $7.2 billion in funding to research and treat the invisible wounds of war: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The Veteran Affairs Department said its plan to spend $6 billion in 2012 to enhance its ability to provide the best possible specialized care for those with PTSD, TBI and other mental health needs. This is a $765 million, or 14.6 percent, increase over VA’s entire proposed 2011 budget for mental health, which, in addition to PTSD and TBI treatment, covers substance abuse treatment, mental health care for the homeless and inpatient treatment. VA officials said the 2012 PTSD/TBI budget also will support collaborative programs with the Defense Department, including outreach to veterans, as well as new but unspecified types of treatment. It promises to lay the groundwork for psychological treatment “for many years to come.” Defense proposed to spend $677 million to treat PTSD and TBI in 2012 and another $415 million for research for a total of just under $1.2 billion. Defense had requested $1.1 billion for PTSD/TBI treatment and research in its 2011 budget. Both Defense and VA are awaiting congressional approval of their 2011 budgets by early March, when a continuing resolution that funds the entire federal government expires. ———- MilitaryConnection.com thanks you for your patronage. This web site is a portal of all things military, and we are quickly becoming the “go to” web site for all things military. We are constantly adding resources, content and features to benefit our audience. Our web site and all of the resources are free to users, and there is something for everyone. Additionally, we feature articles like this to keep you informed. If you belong to a group or organization, we will post your press releases, special events, newsletters, professional conferences and seminars, reunions, job fairs, and videos to help spread the word. One of the areas of our focus is connecting candidates from the military community with outstanding government and civilian employers. We know that candidates from the military community across the board have a work ethic second to none. They make highly valued employees. MilitaryConnection.com has a multitude of employment resources including a Directory of over 30,000 employers, Job Tips, Columns, our new and improved Job Board, Virtual Job Fair and much more. We understand the importance of education. Please check out our new Education section, featuring the most up to date information on the new GI Bill, Education Articles, Education Benefits, and the Scholarship Directory featuring thousands of scholarships. When the next tour is back home, it’s on MilitaryConnection.com. |