COMING UP SHORT again on mental health, The Pilots Feb. 26 editorial, is correct in many ways. While we have made progress in recent years, much work remains.

But this is a long game. I disagree that the accomplishments made during the 2017 General Assembly session were insignificant.

The Joint Subcommittee on Mental Health Services in the 21st Century had three broad goals for the session.

First, we wanted to redefine the mandated services provided by our community services boards. Current law only requires CSBs to provide emergency services and case-management services if funds are available. A longer list of services is enumerated in the Code of Virginia that the CSBs may provide. The Joint Subcommittee sought to expand the list of mandated services, beginning with same-day access and coordination with primary health care, by 2019. Our goal for this session was to add those two services and set a schedule for the delayed implementation of the remaining services. We accomplished that goal.

HB1549, sponsored by Del. Peter Farrell, and SB1005 from Sen. Emmett Hanger establish the new service requirements and are accompanied by a $6.2 million appropriation. Beginning on July 1, 2021, CSBs will be required to provide crisis services; outpatient mental health and substance abuse services; psychiatric rehabilitation services; peer and family support services; veterans services for those who are not able to access care at VA hospitals; care coordination; and case management.

Our second goal was to respond to problems made clear by the horrific 2015 death of Jamycheal Mitchell at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth.

I remain shocked by the circumstances of Mitchells death and cannot fathom how this young man was allowed to die.

Someone must be responsible for investigating suspicious jail deaths. At the last minute, we were able to reach an agreement giving the Board of Corrections funding for an additional investigator and clear responsibility to perform investigations. Del. Rob Bell and Sen. John Cosgrove carried the legislation on behalf of the Joint Subcommittee. I carried a similar bill for the governor. The final budget also included language to mandate prompt assessments for people in our jails shown to have a mental illness during an initial screening. The budget also directs the Compensation Board to report to the money committees the impact of this change and any recommendations for adjusting staffing standards.

Our third goal was to increase funding for permanent supportive housing, which has demonstrable positive effects for people with mental illness. Long-term recovery and success requires a safe place to which someone can go, and those services must be available throughout the commonwealth. We received an additional $5 million for these services. Given the tight fiscal times, getting this infusion of new dollars is significant.

I am very proud of the accomplishments made this year. In the past, such advancements would be viewed as the end of the reform effort. However, the legislature acknowledged the need for a continued focus on mental health and extended the work of the Joint Subcommittee until 2019. The action reflects a level of commitment necessary to expand on our progress.

Some big questions remain unanswered. More than 30 years ago, the late Sen. Elmon Gray pointed out that we dont really have a system of mental health care. We have an array of services that are good in wealthy communities but limited everywhere else. Sadly, to some extent that is still true. Would we be better off reorganizing our public mental health system? What about the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and our 10 public psychiatric facilities? Can we improve upon the function of and the relationships between those entities?

Our questions are not limited to the general structure and function of our mental health system. How can we improve our jail diversion efforts so that people like Mitchell get treatment instead of being arrested? How can we streamline and improve the process for getting services for children? What more do we need to do as a commonwealth to reduce the stigma and raise awareness about mental illness?

The volume of work ahead does not diminish what we have accomplished thus far. I am reminded every day of the urgency of this work by the calls from scared or desperate families, but I am confident in the future.

Creigh Deeds, a Democrat,

represents the 25th District in the Virginia Senate and is chairman of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the 21st Century.

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Creigh Deeds: Progress on mental health | Guest Columnist ... - Virginian-Pilot