Veterans: substance abuse and mental health services.

Existing law provides benefits for state military veterans. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to consult with the State Department of Mental Health and the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, as provided, to identify federal funds that are available for the purposes of funding community-based organizations, certified by the department, to provide substance abuse and mental health services to veterans, as specified, and to pay reasonable administrative expenses. This bill would also require the department to develop a process by which to certify community-based organizations that receive funding, and require the department to establish criteria of success for the purpose of determining renewal of funding to those community-based organizations. The bill would, in counties in which there are no community-based organizations that serve veterans, permit a county to apply for a grant to be used for purposes related to the funding and provision of substance abuse and mental health services to veterans.