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Presenters: Donna Gum Executive Director Mental Health America of Augusta &

Mental Health in Virginia: Likely Changes to Virginia Code as a result of Senator Creigh Deeds Personal Tragedy. Presenters: Donna Gum Executive Director Mental Health America of Augusta & Moriah Tolton Social Work Intern James Madison University.

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Presenters: Donna Gum Executive Director Mental Health America of Augusta &

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  1. Mental Health in Virginia: Likely Changes to Virginia Code as a result of Senator Creigh Deeds Personal Tragedy Presenters: Donna Gum Executive Director Mental Health America of Augusta & Moriah Tolton Social Work Intern James Madison University

  2. ON NOVEMBER 19TH SENATOR CREIGH DEEDS WAS CRITICALLY WOUNDED BY HIS SON WHO SUFFERED FROM A MENTAL ILLNESS AND WOULD LATER TAKE HIS OWN LIFE • Sen. Deeds has introduced legislation to the Virginia Senate floor that he feels will help prevent future tragedies like the one he faced in Bath County on Nov. 19th. • Sen. Deeds’ personal tragedy has reinvigorated the mental health debate at the 2014 Virginia General Assembly.

  3. Emergency Custody Order (ECO) Time Extension • Currently, a person may be held for a preliminary psychiatric assessment for up to four hours, with an additional two-hour extension available upon a finding by a magistrate that good cause exists for an extension. • A measure will likely pass in the current session of the Virginia General Assembly which will extend this time. • Bills in the Senate and House vary from providing a single additional two hour extension to allowing for a maximum ECO time of 48 hours.

  4. EVALUATE QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING OF INDIVIDUALS PERFORMING EVALUATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS FOR ECO REPORTS. • The Department of Behavioral Health and Disability Services (DBHDS) to review requirements for qualifications, training, and oversight of individuals designated by community services boards to perform evaluations of individuals subject to emergency custody orders. • This measure (SB 261) introduced by Sen. Deeds has already passed through the Senate and is currently in the House where it is likely to find little opposition

  5. TEMPORARY DETENTION ORDER (TDO) TIME EXTENSION UP TO 72 HOURS • Currently Virginia Code allows a magistrate to issue a 48 hour TDO for a full psychiatric evaluation. • SB 115 would increase the time a person may be held from 48 up to 72 hours, with a minimum of 24 hours. • Another measure would send patients to state psychiatric hospitals such as Western State if no other suitable public or private hospital is available for the evaluation/TDO period.

  6. ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC BEDREGISTRY. • SB 126: DBHDS to establish an acute psychiatric bed registry that will provide real-time information on the availability of beds in public and private psychiatric facilities and residential crisis stabilization units for individuals who meet the criteria for temporary detention. • This measure is significant because Sen. Deeds’ son Austin was not admitted for a complete evaluation because it was determined that there were no available beds when in fact there were beds less than 50 miles away.

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