ARLINGTON, Va. – Governor Ralph Northam announced on Wednesday that the Commonwealth will commit $485 million in federal and state funding in an effort to improve Virginia’s behavioral health system.
With the funding, Northam hopes to target three main areas: state mental health hospitals, community-based services and substance abuse treatment and prevention programs.
For several years, Virginia’s mental health hospitals have endured several challenges, including high census levels. In fact, this month, Virginia was forced to halt admissions at five of its hospitals due to a staffing crisis.
[Virginia halting admissions at five mental hospitals due to staffing crisis]
In an effort to combat the issue, the funding package will contribute $200 million for staffing at state behavioral health facilities and intellectual disability training centers. This package includes $45 million to continue staff bonuses and $154 million in the two-year budget that Northam will submit in December for salary adjustments.
This announcement comes as Catawba Hospital, one of the five hospitals that had to close admissions this month, reported that it will begin reaccepting limited admissions on Thursday, July 29.
In a press release, the department stated that to start with, the hospital will operate on a census of 85 out of 110 beds in order to ensure that the situation remains manageable as well as safe for patients and staff.
“While we are encouraged that Catawba has been able to progress to a limited admissions status, we are also carefully monitoring the status of the other four closed state hospitals and the three state hospitals that remained open,” the department said in the release. “The state hospitals that are still open shouldered the burden of diversions from their sister hospitals and are now at 100 percent capacity with staffing concerns of their own. This crisis continues to be fluid and intense across the Commonwealth.”
The department reports that as it reduces the staff-to-patient ratio the number of reported injuries involving patients and staff decreases. Authorities said that there are currently 84 patients at the hospital with more discharges underway.
With the governor’s proposal, the Commonwealth is one step closer to ensuring the safety of staff and patients in all 12 of Virginia’s state hospitals and centers. The funding will also help keep staff and patients safe.
“Every Virginian should have access to the behavioral health care and treatment they need, either in their home communities or in a state-operated facility,” said Northam. “The pandemic has led to increases in depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other mental health issues in Virginia and across the country, which has added to the strain on our behavioral health system and the valued people who work within it. This funding package is a down payment that will significantly increase support for our state hospitals, community-based providers, and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs so they can best help those who rely on their services.”