Virginia officials are preparing for a sharp increase in requests for community mental health services from troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and they are concerned that the system will be overwhelmed. Mental health experts and officials said they are seeing a growing number of recently returned military personnel with PTSD, depression and other ailments seeking services from behavioral health clinics.

With a waiting list of about 5,700 for community mental health services, many officials are concerned that the state will not be able to adequately serve the veterans and family members going to these clinics, operated by community services boards.

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