RD307 - Report of the Governor’s Taskforce on Improving Mental Health Services and Crisis Response - September 30, 2014

  • Published: 2014
  • Author: Governor’s Taskforce on Improving Mental Health Services and Crisis Response
  • Enabling Authority: Executive Order 12

Executive Summary:
In November 2013, a terrible tragedy occurred in Bath County, Virginia when a Virginia state senator lost his beloved son to suicide after being unable to access an inpatient psychiatric bed through the involuntary admission process. In the aftermath, there was a tremendous outcry for improvements to Virginia’s fragmented and chronically-underfunded public mental health system.

Following the situation closely, former Governor Robert McDonnell issued an executive order that was fully supported and reissued by Governor Terry McAuliffe (Executive Order 12), creating the Governor’s Taskforce on Improving Mental Health Services and Crisis Response. The Taskforce, composed of experts across disciplines, was charged with recommending solutions that will improve Virginia’s public mental health system. Ten responsibilities detailed in the executive order directed the Taskforce to examine not only those procedures and services that will close gaps in the safety net, but also review what services are most needed to help prevent crises. The ten responsibilities areas requiring examination included:

1. System protocols and procedures
2. Crisis services
3. Emergency custody and temporary detention periods
4. Telepsychiatry
5. Cooperation among courts, law enforcement and mental health systems
6. Veterans, servicemembers and their families
7. Public and private psychiatric bed capacity
8. Early intervention and ongoing supports
9. Families and loved ones
10. Mental health workforce development

The Taskforce met five times from January to August 2014 to address system challenges and consider recommendations. In addition, four workgroups and two subgroups were created in specific issue areas to examine ways to improve the system by filling in gaps in services, strengthening procedures and making impactful investments. The workgroups developed recommendations for the Taskforce’s consideration.

The Taskforce approved 25 recommendations. The recommendations are consistent with the scope of the responsibilities in Executive Order 12 and are categorized in the following areas:

• Expanding Access – Access recommendations bolster the delivery of services consistently across the Commonwealth, including emergency services when a mental health crisis occurs, and services to intervene early and prevent crises from developing.

• Strengthening Administration – Administration recommendations include those that increase flexibility, improve communication and ease navigation through the complex mental health system.

• Improving Quality – Quality recommendations include those that help ensure appropriate clinical responses and successful outcomes.

With the approval of the 25 recommendations and the completion of the final report, the Taskforce has fulfilled its initial obligations under Executive Order 12. In addition, in meeting its obligations under the executive order, the Taskforce also recognized the importance of addressing the needs of those individuals with substance-use disorders. The Taskforce will continue to meet as needed to support efforts to reform Virginia’s mental health system.