People experiencing a mental health crisis often pose a challenge to law enforcement and emergency rooms. That's why Republicans and Democrats came together to propose a nearly $200 million program of mobile units and drop off centers.
Governor Glenn Youngkin outlined the proposal in December just as lawmakers were preparing for the General Assembly session. "True transformation requires a comprehensive, multi-year, commonwealth-wide effort," Youngkin said in the announcement. "And we must start now because Virginians deserve the right help right now."
But now that help is on hold. The new fiscal year started last weekend without the necessary budget amendments to pay for that mental health transformation.
Senator Creigh Deeds is a Democrat from Charlottesville who says fixing the mental health crisis requires an agreement on the budget impasse. "There are still people who are getting dropped off at hospitals when the hospitals aren't ready to take them. There are still frustrated law-enforcement officers who sit in emergency rooms for hours on end. If we want to change things, we've got to pass a budget and we've got to do it soon."
Twenty years ago, lawmakers had a similar impasse when they failed to pass amendments to the two-year budget. The laws that passed that year were never funded. Deeds was in the House at the time, and he says he hopes that precedent is not an indication for where this budget standoff might be heading.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
