Virginia is set to spend nearly $8 million over the next two years in order to boost security at its state-run psychiatric hospitals and add a total of 65 positions across eight facilities.
The additional funding, approved in the state’s latest two-year spending plan, comes as the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services continues to grapple with an admissions crisis. Overcrowding is “the single largest issue currently impacting our state hospitals,” said agency spokesperson Lauren Cunningham, who also said DBHDS requested the funding to enhance safety amid ongoing reports of staff and patient injuries.
According to Virginia Mercury, The plan to add security officers at every state-run facility sparked little debate from lawmakers, who approved a new two-year spending plan earlier this month.
Initially, budget negotiators allocated $3.6 million for 29 new positions at Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg and the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, which were selected based on staffing levels and the high needs of their patient population, according to Cunningham. This June, an amendment from Gov. Glenn Youngkin added $4.7 million for 36 additional officers across all eight facilities. The proposal passed both legislative chambers nearly unanimously.
In an interview last week, Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, described the positions as vital to Virginia’s efforts to enlist more clinical staff, especially given the intense workload in psychiatric hospitals.
“If we can provide more security, I think we can do a better job of recruiting people,” said Deeds, who sponsored the state’s bed of last resort law. “When there are patients and staff being assaulted every day, you have to provide some safety.”
Improving conditions at the facilities, which act as a safety net for some of Virginia’s most critically ill patients, has been a legislative priority for years. But the move to add security positions without significantly boosting pay for much-needed clinical staff has been concerning to some lawmakers and mental health advocates, who say it’s another example of the state prioritizing stopgap measures over long-term solutions.
“Treatment teams, the direct service staff, they’re interacting with people every single minute of every single day,” said Anna Mendez, executive director of Partner for Mental Health, a nonprofit advocacy group that also offers referrals for services to patients in the Charlottesville area.
Adequate staffing “could probably prevent 90 percent of the issues that are now ultimately leading to needing more security,” she added. “So it feels like this is another really strong example of Virginia — instead of being willing to invest a modest amount of resources in preventing a problem — waiting until there is a crisis and then having to throw a lot more money at it.”
The increase spending comes as a part of Youngkin’s recently signed Virginia State Budget, which also includes spending on law enforcement, job growth, and education. Youngkin threw a campaign style rally to celebrate the signing of this deal, which is seen as one of his biggest accomplishments so far as Virginia’s Governor.