Virginia’s Mental Health Reform Effort

In a recent editorial, the Virginia News & Advance newspaper published on May 29, 2016, entitled “Trying to Remake State’s Mental Health System,” Virginia’s commendable mental health reform efforts were enumerated in a concise fashion. Virginia’s efforts are somewhat unique in the country’s landscape concerning this issue which now dominating many American state legislatures.

Virginia’s efforts, similar to a few others states’ efforts, have been singularly prompted by a highly publicized tragedy, that of the death of a young adult, Gus Deeds. What is very different is that his father is a mental health professional, and a Virginia state legislator.

This young man while psychotic  tried to stab the father, Craige Deeds. He was held in a local hospital emergency room for several days while awaiting a referral and placement in either a private or public state psychiatric hospital. There was no bed to be had and he was released a few days later. Shortly thereafter, he suicided. His father, state senator Deeds Ph.D. has made this a personal and public service legislative cause and mission to author and see enacted to address the deficits in Virginia’s mental health system to prevent another tragedy.

State Senator Deeds’ efforts have been very well placed and appropriate. However, even he has had difficulty in seeing this well crafted and reasonable legislation passed as the above-cited editorial, unfortunately points out. This is emblematic of many state’s efforts. The limiting factors are budgetary and many state legislatures, governors, and legislators are finding it very hard to find and devote the long needed monies to mental health reform. Some states have made creditable progress such as my home and practice state of North Carolina. But it remains quite hard to address the funding issues in many states that have permitted the development of state mental health system crises that we see presently almost everywhere. One can only hope that these difficulties can be overcome as efforts continue.

Author: Frank

I am a older child, adult, geriatric teaching psychiatrist with over 30 years' practice experience in North Carolina, first at Duke as clnical teaching faculty, then in Western NC as a primary child psychiatry specialist. I have taught and supervised child psychiatrists and psychiatrists in training and many other mental health professionals and taught at two medical schools. I have served in many public and private practice settings. My primary interest is in observing and documenting the ongoing mental health reform efforts in the State of North Carolina and documenting its sucessess and failures at all levels. My favorite pastime among many others is spoofing my friends and kids with my deadpan sense of humor. View all posts by Frank