Mental Health
Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older equivalent to one in every four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. According to the National Institute for Mental Illness, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for adults between the ages of 15 and 44.
Mental illnesses include a wide array of biologically based brain disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic and other severe anxiety disorders, autism and pervasive developmental disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, borderline personality disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illnesses that affect the brain. Mental illnesses affect persons of every age, race, religion, education, or income and are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people with serious mental illness need medication to help control symptoms, but also rely on supportive counseling, self-help groups, assistance with housing, vocational rehabilitation, income assistance and other community services in order to achieve their highest level of recovery.
Given the national statistics on mental illness, over 40,500 residents of Newport News experience some type or combination of mental illness annually. Most of these individuals receive treatment from a wide array of professionally licensed and certified clinicians and counselors including psychiatrists, clinical social workers, psychologists and counselors. Approximately 10,000 people annually receive services through the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board. In Fiscal Year 2006, 606 youth received therapy, foster care, residential treatment, shelter, private day school and home based support services under the Comprehensive Services Act. This program serves severely emotionally disturbed children. The fiscal year cost was $12.8 million with the City providing $4.3 million in local funds which includes the CSA cost share and Medicaid match.
There are four important activities currently or potentially influencing the number of people requiring supported mental health services as well as the availability and type of services provided.
I. The Olmstead Decision and Initiative: In 1999, the Supreme Court said in a decision called Olmstead v. L.C. that persons with disabilities, who live in, are “at risk” of living in, or are eligible for placement in facilities or institutions, have a right to live in the community. They have this right if: they and their treatment teams agree that they can live so successfully; they choose to live in the community; and there are resources available to help them live in the community. The Supreme Court went on to say that, it is a form of discrimination to isolate and segregate persons in institutions when they can live in the community and enjoy the benefits of society. Lack of resources alone is not an acceptable excuse for failure to allow eligible persons from living in their community. The President’s Executive Order stated that the Federal government must assist states and localities to implement the findings of the Olmstead decision. This led to the Federal New Freedom Initiative announced in February 2001 and Virginia’s Olmstead Initiative which began in 2003. This decision affects all disabilities; however, the disability predominately receiving local attention is mental illness. The decision does not insist on the closing of institutions. However, because people with mental illnesses can successfully live in their home community and are choosing to do so, the size of State-funded institutions require adjustment, which will in turn allow for reinvestment of the related State-support funds to move to the local community service providers.
II. Systems Transformation Initiative: As a result of the Olmstead decision and due to extensive progress in mental health treatment and services, the State Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS) has developed the System Transformation Initiative. The Transformation Initiative emphasizes person-centered, recovery focused best practices in all community and institutional treatment, has developed a planned “right-sizing” of State supported institutions based upon current and future needs, and has reinvestment funding allocated to supporting localities with meeting the needs of citizens affected by mental disabilities within their home communities. Communities, through their Community Services Boards are working with the Department to develop local plans for responding to these Federal and State initiatives. The Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board has been a leader in responding to these initiatives as well as serving as the Fiscal Agent for a Region V Reinvestment Project that is a model for developing local and regional programs throughout the state.
III. Federal Chronic Homeless Initiative: In July 2003, the Bush Administration announced a new strategy to combat chronic homelessness through interagency coordination, resource commitments and local and State technical assistance and supports. The Federal definition of chronic homelessness included continuous homelessness in excess of a year or at least four episodes in 3 years. The individual must also have a disabling condition. The Interagency Council on Homelessness targeted the chronic homeless because, although numbering only between 10 and 20 percent of the homeless population, they were consuming between 50 and 80 percent of all resources identified to serve the homeless. The disabling conditions predominately identified were mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders or a combination of the two. On January 25, 2006, homeless service providers and outreach workers located and identified over 1,000 homeless people on the VirginiaPeninsula. Of these, over 375, about 36 percent were identified as chronically homeless. Over 700 of these individuals were identified as having some type of mental illness or substance abuse disorder. The Federal Chronic Homeless Initiative has led to increasing programs, services and housing appropriate to this population through Federal grant funds to local providers including the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, LINK of Hampton Roads, Access Partnership, Transitions Family Violence Services, Avalon, and the Warwick SRO.
IV. Virginia Commission on Mental Health Law Reform: Most recently is the initiation in October, 2006 of a 26-member Commission appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, Leroy Hassell. The Commission will examine Virginia’s mental health laws and determine the most effective use of the law to serve the needs of persons with mental illness, while respecting the interests and needs of families and the community. The Commission is comprised of five task forces to meet the goals and expected products of the Commission; one of which is chaired by the Executive Director of the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board.