On May 22, legislation was signed to help veterans returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, get the adequate mental health care they need. Governor Martin O'Malley signed the legislation based on concerns that the mental health needs of many returning veterans has been slipping through the cracks within the federal system.

The program will aid Maryland veterans in acquiring mental health assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs. When situations arise where the services are either being performed too slow, or not at all, the state will hire private mental health professionals to assist the veterans. The initiative, costing $2.8 million, is aimed at assisting veterans with what many see as insufficient help from the VA and the Federal Government to provide such services.

In an effort to provide veterans with mental issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, access to information about overall mental health, Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will hire coordinators to serve as intermediaries between returning veterans and the Federal Government. The coordinators will, in essence, assist the veterans to make sure they are signed up for care with the VA. If and when the care may slip, the state will be notified and take the necessary steps to get aid for the veteran.

While the program is available for all returning vets from Afghanistan and Iraq, it is aimed at those living in rural areas. The initiative is broadened by the fact that it introduces the Veterans Behavioral Health Advisory Board, which will identify gaps in services. Board members, who have yet to be chosen, will travel across the state and conduct open meetings discussing issues related to mental health of returning veterans, which will then be addressed by the General Assembly before the years end.