Legislation creating a statewide mental health alert system to ensure behavioral health experts are involved in responding to individuals in crisis was ceremonially signed into law today.
The legislation – Senate Bill 5038, sponsored by State Sen. Jeremy McPike, and House Bill 5043, sponsored by Del. Jeffrey Bourne – creates Marcus Alerts, named after Marcus-David Peters, a high school biology teacher killed by a police officer in Richmond while experiencing a behavioral health crisis in 2018.
The Marcus Alert system engages teams of mental health service providers and peer recovery specialists whose focus is on promoting a behavioral health response to individuals in crisis, including those with substance abuse disorder and developmental disabilities.
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