Friday, May 30, 2008

 Previous State Circle Guests

Political Roundtable

Delegate James King of Anne Arundel County and Senator Verna Jones join Jeff for this week's Political Roundtable.

Delegate James King

(R) Anne Arundel County, District 33a

Del. James King

Verna Jones

(D) District 44, Baltimore City

Sen. Verna Jones

Maryland Legislation for Veterans

The number of Army troops suffering from severe combat stress is skyrocketing, rising from just over 1,000 new cases in 2003 to more than 28,000 soldiers today diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Army surgeon general. Maryland's Secretary of Veterans Affairs joins Jeff to talk about legislation recently signed into law by the governor that ensures that Maryland's over 10,000 veterans receive the behavioral health services they deserve. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the legislation helps veterans throughout the state coordinate and obtain access to services available through the federal government and the State's public mental health system. The legislation also offers crisis services for severe problems that could become emergencies until longer-term services can be obtained, and creates a Veterans' Behavioral Health Advisory Board to identify gaps in services and make recommendations for further steps to ensure that all Maryland veterans and their families receive the support and services they require and deserve.

James Adkins

Secretary,
Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs

Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs