RICHMOND, Va. β As his term nears its end, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is highlighting one of his longest running efforts of his four years in office: improving Virginia's mental health system through his Right Help, Right Now initiative.
Youngkin says the state has reached many milestones but acknowledges there's still more work to be done.
"Three years ago we had a plan, we had a vision, and we had a lot of ground to cover," Youngkin said Thursday at the Library of Virginia, where he launched his Right Help, Right Now initiative in 2022. "To call this complex and comprehensive is an understatement."
The program identified six pillars to reform the state's behavioral health system and includes 130 different initiatives requiring 60 bills, Youngkin said.
Among the initiatives is the creation and expansion of mobile crisis support teams to help people in a mental health crisis with the hope of not needing to involve police.
When you call 9-8-8 during a mental health crisis, a mobile response team may come to help
Youngkin says the state started with 36 teams and now has 110, including Dr. Daphne Cunningham's teams in the Hampton Roads area.
"Last month alone, we completed 71 assessments in the community, and since assembling our teams in 2023 approximately 87% of those responses have resulted in an outcome that does not include an emergency custody order," Cunningham said.
For those who do need further treatment, Youngkin said there are 30,000 more healthcare workers since the initiative launched, and Virginia is in the process of more than tripling the number of beds for people needing stabilization.
"When we are finished building out everything that has already been celebrated with a ribbon cutting or is currently being developed, we will have 834 beds," Youngkin said.
Youngkin also spoke about Virginia's efforts to combat deadly fentanyl overdoses, highlighting the first lady's "It only takes one campaign" and a 59% drop in deaths β among the biggest decreases in the country.
"We're seeing overdose deaths come down, and we're seeing more people reach out for help," Sprouse said. "We're seeing fewer barriers getting in the way. And those changes are not small to me. They're personal."
Burnic Sprouse is a peer recovery specialist with Freedom Recovery Centers.
"A statistical number taken from five-and-a-half, on average, Virginians who were dying every single day from fentanyl overdoses to two. Two is still two too many. We have work to do," Youngkin said.
Youngkin will present his final budget proposal to the General Assembly next week.
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