West Virginia's Mental Health Crisis
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West Virginia's Governor and Legislature
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West Virginia is experiencing a mental health crisis. People with mental health needs are finding it increasingly difficult to receive care in their communities as services are eliminated due to regulations or funding reductions.
The deterioration of community based services for people with mental illness has resulted in needless suffering for thousands of West Virginians and their families. Suicides, substance abuse, commitments to state hospitals and homelessness are all rapidly increasing in our state. Individuals in need of community based mental health services and supports can no longer wait for the completion of additional studies and reports. They need help now.
Recognizing the growing mental health crisis and the need for immediate action, we the undersigned urge Governor Manchin and the Legislature to adopt the following recommendations to address West Virginias mental health crisis:
With more than a decade of studies, reports, commissions and failed solutions, the mental health crisis needs the personal involvement of Governor Joe Manchin to provide the leadership necessary to solve the challenges facing services to people with a mental illness.
The State Supreme Court should allow Judge Duke Bloom to proceed with hearings to examine conditions at state psychiatric hospitals based on a report from the court-appointed Ombudsman.
The state should fund the expansion of peer support, wellness recovery plans and other community based support programs that have proven successful in helping people with mental illness live independently within our communities.
A portion of the funding to rebuild the community based services should provide $1.5 million (plus the federal match) for three consecutive years of equal, across-the-board Medicaid rate increases for clinic and rehabilitation codes. Adequately funding these services is an important first step in re-establishing community-based behavioral health services across the state.
Medicaid coverage for people with mental illness should be expanded to include essential community supports as covered by other state Medicaid programs.
A continuum of care needs to be established so that a broad array of services are available to support the mentally ill. These should not just be bricks and mortar but should include peer support, clinic and rehabilitation services, residential care, groups homes, substance abuse treatment and individual practioners.
The deterioration of community based services for people with mental illness has resulted in needless suffering for thousands of West Virginians and their families. Suicides, substance abuse, commitments to state hospitals and homelessness are all rapidly increasing in our state. Individuals in need of community based mental health services and supports can no longer wait for the completion of additional studies and reports. They need help now.
Recognizing the growing mental health crisis and the need for immediate action, we the undersigned urge Governor Manchin and the Legislature to adopt the following recommendations to address West Virginias mental health crisis:
With more than a decade of studies, reports, commissions and failed solutions, the mental health crisis needs the personal involvement of Governor Joe Manchin to provide the leadership necessary to solve the challenges facing services to people with a mental illness.
The State Supreme Court should allow Judge Duke Bloom to proceed with hearings to examine conditions at state psychiatric hospitals based on a report from the court-appointed Ombudsman.
The state should fund the expansion of peer support, wellness recovery plans and other community based support programs that have proven successful in helping people with mental illness live independently within our communities.
A portion of the funding to rebuild the community based services should provide $1.5 million (plus the federal match) for three consecutive years of equal, across-the-board Medicaid rate increases for clinic and rehabilitation codes. Adequately funding these services is an important first step in re-establishing community-based behavioral health services across the state.
Medicaid coverage for people with mental illness should be expanded to include essential community supports as covered by other state Medicaid programs.
A continuum of care needs to be established so that a broad array of services are available to support the mentally ill. These should not just be bricks and mortar but should include peer support, clinic and rehabilitation services, residential care, groups homes, substance abuse treatment and individual practioners.
88 Signatures
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Tom Sims
- Comments
- (past board member of WV Mental Health Association)
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Desmond Byrne
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James C. Doria
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Traci Strickland
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Anna West
- Comments
- Please send help to Boone county..my child deserves it!
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chuck conner
- Comments
- Be compassionate in your decisions
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Cheryl Perone
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Carol M. Smith, PhD
- Comments
- Asst. Prof of Counseling, MUGC
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Priscilla Fletcher
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David Sanders
- Comments
- We must provide community based services and remove the institutional bias
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Linda Pauley
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Gary O'Dell
- Comments
- Legislation for funding is necessary.
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Matthew High
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Dr. Donald Hall
- Comments
- I fully support the attention to mental health issues, treatment and prevention thereof, in West Virginia.
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pamela jarvis
- Comments
- i am a person that has sufferd for many long years of differnt types of mental illness i was on ssi but becouse i wanted to marry i no longer get my medical coverge please ! help us especially the children.
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Kandy Chapman
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Joy Bryant
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Jennifer Perry
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Stacey Beane
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Zachary Hansen
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Clayton Stevens
- Comments
- we both need mental help in wv
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Ardella Cottrill
- Comments
- Community based services are needed
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LOU KEMP
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frances simone
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Elizabeth DeMarco
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Vivian Taylor
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Virginia Coates
- Comments
- My brother is in a group home with EastRidge Mental Health. Please help keep them in their homes. This is all he has known. He was in one of our state hospitals and was brought to Martinsburg years ago and now is thru EastRidge in a group home.
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Betty Custer
- Comments
- Myy brother is with Eastridge and my sister and I need help keeping him there. Please support the mentally ill.
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Ruth Kenney
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Darla Drawdy
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Carolyn Delong
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pat smith
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Lynn O'Brien
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Glenda Currie
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Jennifer Henning
- Comments
- West Virginia is outdated in it's mental health field. Our state needs to provide the care a resources that it truely takes to ensure a mentally healthy West Virginia, especially in times of econimic crisis and job loss. Our current system is flawed in so many ways. The system is slow, under funded, and under staffed. Our state needs to completely review this system and make necessary changes that are what the PEOPLE need, not the changes that are easy on government pockets.
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Kenneth Shamblin
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Lisa Forren
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Beverly Kelley
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Terra Beezel
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Cheryl Viands
- Comments
- We cannot put our heads in the sand any longer on the issue of mental health. The mentally ill and mentally-impaired have a silent voice, but those who will speak for them are growing in numbers and strength. We are speaking and will continue to speak LOUDLY and often for those who cannot speak for themselves. We need increased funding for our community-based mental health services and we need action NOW. For too long our citizens with silent voices have had necessary services eliminated due to regulations and reduction in funding. TODAY is the day to take action.
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William Batress
- Comments
- Please help solve this important problem now!
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Donald Thrailkill
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Patty Bradley
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Sanford M. Bienen
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SHARON WINNE
- Comments
- PARENT OF EASTRIDGE MRDD PROGRAM
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WARD WINNE
- Comments
- PARENT OF CLIENT AT EASTRIDGE HEALTH MRDD SYSTEM
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Jodie Bishop
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Rev. Mimi Mathews
- Comments
- This is a crisis situation and should be addressed for the sake of all families who need these services.
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Melissa VanGilder
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Nance Glantz
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88
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