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RICHMOND, VA - Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced six grant awards to invest in building emergency room alternatives to care for patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis. These grants will be administered to new sites, to complete projects currently in development and enhance staffing at existing crisis receiving centers (CRCs) and crisis stabilization units (CSUs). The awards are allocated from the $58 million FY 2024 investment in CRCs and CSUs outlined in Governor Youngkin's transformational Right Help, Right Nowplan for behavioral health care in Virginia.
"Through Right Help, Right Now, we are delivering on our promise to give Virginians experiencing a mental health crisis help pre-crisis, in crisis, and post crisis with available resources to call, entities to respond, and somewhere to go," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "Crisis receiving centers and crisis stabilization units provide a necessary alternative to emergency rooms that allows a person in crisis to receive the appropriate care they need, when they need it. Through these measures, we are transforming Virginia's behavioral health system for the better."
"As we continue to build out our crisis infrastructure, emergency room alternatives like CRCs and CSUs will play a critical role," said Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel."These facilities offer people in crisis, and their loved ones, a way to access no-wrong-door mental health services in a therapeutic setting that is close to home, in accordance with the national best-in-class CrisisNow Model."
The first round of projects receiving grant funding were announced in December2023. These efforts are being funded through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and will ensure same-day care for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, a key component of Right Help, Right Now .
"These crisis receiving centers and crisis stabilization units will not only ensure Virginians in crisis have somewhere to go in their own community, but they will also help ease the burden on local law enforcement and emergency departments,"said Nelson Smith, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services."Virginia's community services boards (CSBs) continue to be on the frontlines of providing these critical services, and we are grateful to be able to partner with them to ensure these facilities have the infrastructure and staffing they need to be successful and provide the best care possible."
The latest round of projects includes:
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Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services Board: The CSB has previously purchased and completed renovation of a credit union building to utilize as their CRC facility. As the project has evolved and existing funding has allowed the CRC to open with limited operations, the CSB has learned additional staffing will be needed for complete operations. These additional funds will support recruitment and onboarding of three additional staff, which will allow for robust 24/7 operations.
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Mount Rogers Community Services Board: Mount Rogers currently operates both a CRC and CSU at separate locations. Funds approved will facilitate relocation of the CRC program to an improved space that will be adjacent to the CSU. The new CRC facility will improve ability for law enforcement to safely hand off cases and get back on the street. CSU capacity will be doubled from eight to sixteen beds, and these new funds will also provide operational expense to support staff recruitment and retention.
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Planning District One Community Services Board: Currently, the CSB operates a CRC in a building they have already purchased and renovated. However, staffing the site has been difficult with current operational funds. Additional funds will allow for recruitment, onboarding, and retention of staff for complete 24/7 operations.
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Prince William Community Services Board: Prince William CSB is headlong in developing one of the largest crisis sites in the state with full CRC and CSU operations for children and adults under one roof. This additional appropriation for funds will ensure full and sustained staffing once operational.
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Rappahannock Area Community Services Board: The CSB currently operates a crisis stabilization unit, and one-time funds will be provided for construction of an adjacent crisis receiving center. This new facility will provide an essential service to one of the most populated CSBs in the Commonwealth.
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Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services: Henrico County will use the funds to complete financing of a large-scale project to establish a new CRC and CSU alongside a new residential detox service. Coordination among these three services will significantly increase the ability to serve individuals in crisis with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues.
For additional statements from the CSBs receiving funding, visit here.
Launched in December 2022, Governor Youngkin's Right Help, Right Nowplan is aimed at transforming Virginia's outdated behavioral health care system.
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