Virginia lawmakers criticize Governor's plans to close mental health centers

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

The Kaine administration's plan to close several mental-health centers in Virginia drew bipartisan fire Jan. 16 from members of the House Appropriations Committee.

The Department of Mental Health proposes saving $16 million by closing the Southeastern Virginia Training Center in Chesapeake, closing a center in Marion and closing part of a center in Staunton.

"This is precipitous. I don't see how it is physically possible to do this," said Del. Harvey B. Morgan, R-Middlesex. "The disruption could be life-threatening."

"Do you have a plan?" asked Del. Robert H. Brink, D-Arlington.

Under pressure from the legislators, James S. Reinhard, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, said the department did not have a detailed plan on where the patients would go if the facilities close.

Reinhard and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Marilyn B. Tavenner promised to come back to the committee with a more detailed plan in two weeks.

Reinhard acknowledged that plans to close some of the facilities by the end of June were prompted by "the current budget situation."

The Health and Human Resources secretariat has proposed budget reductions of $517 million over the next two years to help the state meet a $3.2 billion budget shortfall. Part of the reductions would involve the layoffs of 600 employees.

The plans to close the Chesapeake center drew the most fire. The center has 165 patients. Each patient costs $143,000 to take care of annually. The plans are to transfer 55 of the most severely ill patients to other facilities and 110 to group homes in the Hampton Roads area.

But Reinhard said he wasn't sure where the people would go.

Part of the savings would come from selling the property where the center is located. Under questioning from Del. Johnny Joannou, D-Portsmouth, Reinhard said the facility could not be sold fast enough to realize the savings in this budget. He said the department would rely on a bridge loan from the State treasurer's office to fill this gap.

Reinhard said closing the centers would continue the department's goal of deinstitutionalizing patients and moving them into community-based facilities, such as group homes.

Virginia still has a larger number of mental patients in institutions than many other states, he said.