Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Washington) announced the Assembly passed the Veterans Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Act today (A.9415).

“The Mid-Hudson Valley has always held veterans in the highest regard. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect the health and well-being of those in our community who have fought and risked their lives to protect our country,” said Assemblymember Barrett, who serves on the Assembly’s Committee on Veterans Affairs. “Many of our veterans return from war only to end up having to face mental-health or substance-abuse problems. It is one of my top priorities in the Assembly to fight for veterans and get them the help and counsel they need and deserve.”

The bill would call on the New York State Veterans’ Affairs Commission to develop and update an interagency plan to improve outreach, assessment and care for veterans who are experiencing mental health, major depression and/or substance abuse problems, and provide assistance to their families. This bill would also require a progress report to be issued each year and expand the duties of the members appointed to the commission.

Combat-related mental illness is a significant issue that many veterans cope with, Assemblymember Barrett said. Over 85,000 New Yorkers have participated in Operation Enduring Freedom (War in Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or both, since Sept. 11, 2001. At least one in three Iraq veterans and one in nine Afghanistan veterans will face mental health issues like depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home from duty. Unfortunately, our current mental health system lacks the capacity to meet the needs of these veterans and their families.

“Veterans play a vital role in our community, protecting both our nation and our families, and we owe them a supportive and accessible mental health system that aptly and ably treats them should they need it,” Assemblymember Barrett said. “This legislation would help provide a greater amount of support to military families and the many veterans living with emotional and substance-abuse problems.”

The proposed planning process acknowledges the need to implement services in addition to those provided by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs system, in order to meet the needs of veterans and their families who are either ineligible for these services or choose not to utilize them, Assemblymember Barrett said.