Home Ken Plum: Mental health advances
Local News

Ken Plum: Mental health advances

Contributors

ken plumVirginia has the distinction of having had the first mental health hospital in the country although it was called an insane asylum which more correctly described the work it did. From colonial days to the present the role of the state in providing treatment and services for those with mental illness has been widely debated, filled with different theories and approaches, and always critically under-funded. It took a massacre of students at Virginia Tech and a state senator’s son attacking his father with a butcher knife then shooting himself to bring a higher level of urgency and seriousness to the discussion. A commission has been meeting the past couple of years and will continue to meet for at least a couple more to develop recommendations on what the state should do.

In the meantime, some hopeful progress is being made. After the Virginia Tech shootings state appropriations for mental health programs were increased dramatically only to be reduced again after the onset of the recession. Funding for programs for those with mental illness has been slowly increasing again but still does not come close to the levels requested by professionals in the field. Additional funding was provided in the most recent General Assembly session to allow for transitional housing. Statewide there has been more clarification of the role of the Community Services Boards for the treatment of mental illness.

The practice of “streeting” persons by putting them back on the street when there was no treatment option available to them has largely been stopped. Emergency and temporary custody orders can be issued to ensure that those needing emergency care will receive it. Crisis treatment centers are being opened around the state.

We are blessed in Fairfax County that local government has for decades been offering mental health treatment and services well beyond that provided in most parts of the state. The most recent example is the Diversion First program that just issued its first annual report. The program came about from the recognition that more than a quarter of the inmates in local jails have mental illness. They came into contact with law enforcement because of a behavior that needed treatment not incarceration. Sheriff Stacey Kincaid, the Fairfax County Police Department and the Community Services Board cooperatively put together a program that offers alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness or developmental disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low level offenses. As stated in their annual report, the goal is to intercede whenever possible to provide assessment, treatment or needed support in an appropriate setting for those who struggle with mental illness, developmental delays, or substance abuse instead of jail being the default solution. In its first year of work, the program diverted 375 persons from jail into treatment programs. Both money and lives are saved with the shift of emphasis.

More about this important new service made possible by Fairfax County government officials working together is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/DiversionFirst.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

Local News, Politics

Verona: Construction of new Augusta County courthouse continues under budget

missing person
Virginia News

Richmond Police searching for missing 59-year-old woman from Henrico

The Richmond Police Department is searching for 59-year-old MaReesa Dawn Jones from Henrico County. Jones last made contact with her family on Feb. 8. Her vehicle was found on the Lee Bridge in Richmond the same day. A caller stated that a black female was standing near the railing of the bridge. It has been...

Rotunda at UVA
Local News, Politics

UVA Board of Visitors to discuss Trump EOs on trans healthcare, immigration, DEI

The UVA Board of Visitors has called a special meeting to address the university and medical center’s compliance with orders by Donald Trump.

child in classroom
Politics, U.S. & World News

Eliminating U.S. Department of Ed: Can we still ensure equal education for all?

acc basketball
Basketball, Sports

ACC Basketball Notebook: We can’t unsee what we saw from Virginia Tech-BC

uva nov 13 graphic
Football, Local News

UVA commits to mid-March release of review into Nov. 13 murders

car accident investigation police rescue
Virginia News

Mecklenburg County: One dead, one seriously injured in crash on Route 58