Virginia's mental health system continues to create challenges for state leaders.
Admissions to Virginia's state-run psychiatric hospitals have gone off the charts, creating serious treatment problems for patients and safety hazards for employees. A recent report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission was led by Drew Dickinson.
"We found that some law enforcement agencies are dropping individuals off at state psychiatric hospitals before the facilities have had a chance to determine whether they can safely care for them," Dickinson said. "And that these law enforcement drop-offs are placing patients and state hospital staff at risk."
Virginia has eight facilities for adults and one facility for children. The JLARC report suggests closing the facility for children, where the use of physical restraints is raising alarm bells. Commissioner Nelson Smith leads the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
"DBHDS's goal is for the Commonwealth Center for Child and Adolescents to be a restraint-free facility/hospital," Smith said. "And we will continue to work with CCCA and the adult state hospitals to ensure instances of seclusion and restraint continue to trend downward."
Early next year, lawmakers will be returning to Richmond to consider the recommendations about fixing Virginia's system of mental health hospitals.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
