Virginians overwhelmingly support behavioral health care reforms as mental health becomes a priority in the Commonwealth

Cheryl E Preston

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Virginia Governor prioritizes mental healthPhoto byMarcel StraußonUnsplash

Mental Health becomes a prioity in Virginia

Reports from Virginia's watch dog agency has indicated gaps in the State's mental health system but now the Govenor has the backing of citizens of the Commonwealth to be able to bridge those gaps. According to a poll results from Mason Dixon Polling & Strategy 83% of Virginians who repsonded to a survey are in agreement with Governor Younkin's proposal for mental halth reform.

In December the Virginia Governor acknowledged that the current system that is in place for mental health is not working and Younkin proposed investing "$230 million in new funding to strengthen Virginia’s behavioral health care system."

Governor Younkin sated “We have a crisis and the system is not equipped to deal with it,” “This challenge calls for much more than evolution. It calls for a revolution. It’s past time for major systemic changes.”

Virgininas should benefit from this new proposal

This is good news for families who are struggling with trying to find resources for their mentally ill loved ones.Younkin's approach will address major issues that need to be front and center.

Behavioral health challenges, encompassing crisis care, law enforcement burden, substance use disorder support, behavioral health workforce and service delivery innovation. The current behavioral health system is being overwhelmed and failing to meet the needs of Virginians in crisis with an outdated model of care that relies too heavily on hospitals.

Mental Health America,ranks Virginia number 34 in access to mental health care in the US.Now, current polling shows Youngkin has clear support for his three-year behavioral health plan called “Right Help, Right Now”. a six tier plan and this proposal is currently pending in the Virginia General Assembly.

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# Mental Health# Governor Younkin# Virginia Behavioral Health ref

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I write, about breaking news, and current events. I wrote a newspaper column from 1997 to 2007 and have written for various online platforms since 2012 including Yahoo Contributor Network, Hubpages, and Vocal Media.

Roanoke, VA
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