Virginia's Mental Health Response: Slow but Steady Progress

Virginia is making progress in improving its mental health crisis response, but it's not happening as fast as planned. The state introduced the Marcus Alert system in 2020 to send trained mental health professionals instead of police to handle behavioral health emergencies. This change came after the tragic shooting of Marcus-David Peters, an unarmed Black teacher in a mental health crisis. Last year, the number of mental health calls to 911 that got the right response doubled, from 10% to 22%. That's good news, but it's still not enough. Many calls to the mental health crisis line, 988, are still handled by police. Sending officers to these situations takes them away from other emergencies, especially in rural areas where resources are already limited. The slow progress has a few reasons. The system is being rolled out in stages by community service boards (CSBs) across Virginia. So far, only 17 out of 40 CSBs have fully implemented the Marcus Alert system. To meet the 2028 deadline, the state needs to provide better funding and training. Right now, each CSB gets $600, 000 the year before they start the system, but that doesn't account for differences in population sizes. There's also no statewide training for CSBs, dispatchers, or law enforcement on how to use the Marcus Alert system. This makes it harder for everyone to work together effectively. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has shown support for mental health care and recently launched a pilot project in Winchester. This project uses Special Conservators of the Peace (SCOPS) to escort people in crisis to the hospital without involving law enforcement. This is a step in the right direction. The Marcus Alert system is Virginia's best chance to improve mental health crisis responses. The state needs to speed up the process and make sure the system works as intended. Future leaders must keep building on this progress to ensure better outcomes for people in crisis.