Mental health services needed
Recent reporting on the Rose Park United Methodist Church arsonist noted that, after a prior incident, law enforcement in Madison County had attempted to obtain a mental health placement for the man, but none was available so he was sent to a hotel. A few days later he set the church on fire.
This tragedy, again, underscores the dire need for expanded resources and funding for mental health throughout Virginia. We hear this again and again, from parents, teachers, clergy, law enforcement officers, social workers, counselors, and many others.
The importance of mental health services is top of mind every time there is a gun tragedy, or when we worry about our students coping with stress and depression, or when we talk about solutions for our homeless communities, or as we seek better care for our veterans. But the situation does not seem to improve. It is time for our Virginia General Assembly to address this and support communities in meeting the needs of our vulnerable citizens.
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With this dire concern in mind, I checked the websites of our current candidates for State Senate in the 28th District and the House of Delegates in the 62nd District. Only two include expanding mental health resources as a priority: Jason Ford and Sara Ratcliffe.
Ford, for example, points out that Virginia ranks 48th in the nation in teen mental health care, and notes that the lack of mental health services in the commonwealth is a “genuine crisis.” Ratcliffe underscores the importance of community-based mental health treatment options, and stresses the importance of investments in this area.
If we continue to elect incumbents who do not feel urgency about this issue, nothing will change. Please vote for Jason Ford and Sara Ratcliffe, and let’s begin to strive for true, measurable improvements in the quality of life in our region.
Cindy Taylor, Madison
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