David joined other members of the House Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee in Richmond yesterday for the first of several hearings examining Virginia’s mental health care system in light of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech.
“It’s unfortunate that it has taken a tragedy like Virginia Tech to focus attention on the crisis in our mental health care system, but I’m hopeful that we can use this opportunity to come together and make real progress on improving the system during the 2008 General Assembly session,” said David.
Yesterday’s hearings included moving testimony from Joseph Samaha, whose daughter Reema Samaha was among the Virginia Tech students murdered on April 16. Other briefings from the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services highlighted a number of problems with the way Virginia’s system handles individuals who pose an imminent danger to themselves or others.
During the hearing, David pointed out that authorities have not been using a standard definition of “imminent danger” and that there are no well-defined procedures for the state to enforce mandatory outpatient commitment orders.
“It’s clear that we have a lot of work to do, and I look forward to future hearings so we can try to get it right,” said David.
Future hearings will include opportunities for public comment and input. If you are interested in providing comment or attending any of the hearings, contact David at DelDEnglin@house.state.va.us or 703-549-3203.
