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Rasoul files bill to address growing mental health needs

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Sam Rasoul
Sam Rasoul

Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) filed his first bill for the 2022 legislative session to address the growing mental health and addiction crises.

HB 105 is a proposed feasibility study to transform Catawba Hospital into a facility that offers substance abuse treatment and recovery in addition to their current services.

“Since the opening of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the Roanoke Valley has lead the way on biomedical innovation throughout the Commonwealth,” Rasoul said. “With strong partners like Virginia Tech and Carillion Clinic, the Roanoke Valley has an opportunity to reimagine the way we handle substance abuse and mental health treatment by creating a state of the art campus at Catawba Hospital.”

HB 105 also directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to identify state hospitals in other regions of the Commonwealth that may be appropriate for transformation into facilities at which a continuum of such services is provided in addition to the array of behavioral health and other services currently provided to individuals in need of mental health care.

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