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Mental Health Groups Await Details on Service Overhaul

Posted on: Thursday, 8 December 2005, 18:00 CST

By Elizabeth Simpson, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Dec. 8--The devil -- or the saving grace -- is in the details. That's the reaction of some directors of community services boards and mental health advocates to Gov. Mark R. Warner's proposal to rebuild and downsize state mental health facilities.

Mental health advocates and administrators are pleased with the idea of more money for support in the community, and laud the philosophy of moving services closer to people's homes.

They question whether the amount allocated to localities will be enough to serve not only those who will be displaced from state facilities but also those on waiting lists the boards are struggling to serve.

The $458 million plan calls for reducing the number of beds by 470 at four facilities: Southeastern Virginia Training Center in Chesapeake, Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Western State Hospital in Staunton and the Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg.

Warner's plan would allocate $116 million in new state financing during the next two years to build up community services. That money would bring in $52 million in matching federal money.

South Hampton Roads cities have waiting lists of people with mental retardation who need Medicaid assistance to live in the community and get services such as day support or job training. Among the five Southside cities, there are about 450 people on those waiting lists. Virginia Beach alone has about 160 .

George Pratt, executive director of Norfolk Community Services Board, said there is also a shortage of housing for people with mental illnesses, which contributes to an increasing number of people in local jails. He hopes there will be enough money to serve that population as well.

More details about Warner's plan are expected in coming weeks as the governor's budget is released Dec. 16.

Pratt said he believes money allocated to make up for downsizing Eastern State Hospital has been helpful.

Although there have been critics of the governor's "reinvestment project," he said several cities have opened or are preparing "crisis stabilization" units using money the state allocated earlier this year.

Terry Jenkins, director of the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services, questions how federal efforts to ratchet down programs such as Medicaid -- which provides health care for low-income people -- and other programs that help low-income populations will affect the governor's plan. People with mental disabilities generally fall into that category.

"If the money is going to meet the needs of people coming out of those facilities, great for them, but what about the people living with family members or in inadequate situations in the community now?" Jenkins asked. "Do they get anything?"

"On the surface it looks wonderful," said Candace Waller, executive director of the Chesapeake Community Services Board. "But until we get more details, it will be hard to say whether there will be adequate community services."

Maureen Hollowell, director of advocacy and services for the Endependence Center, said officials of that agency hope the community money will be used to allow disabled people to have more control over their own destinies, rather than building "mini-institutions" in communities. That's an issue that the Norfolk-based agency -- which helps people live independently -- will be monitoring.

Robert Shrewsberry, director of the Southeastern Virginia Training Center, said he believes the governor's plan will improve the lives of people who live there and those who will be able to move into other local housing.

He said the current facility has a mold problem, has leaking roofs and is not hurricane proof.

"All the studies show it would cost more to remodel than to rebuild," he said.

Shrewsberry said some parents of residents at the facility likely will be concerned by the news that the capacity there will be reduced by about half, to 100.

"There are almost always concerns of 'Will this facility be here for my child when I am gone?'" he said. "Our facility is bricks and mortar, and they see that as permanence."

But he said states that are ahead of Virginia in the move from institutions to communities have shown it can work when done right. "There's an initial shock, but I think this will be done properly."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

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Source: The Virginian-Pilot

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