Yesterday, Governor Youngkin signed the long-delayed budget, which has significant implications for behavioral health in Virginia. The budget includes $4.35 million to increase funding for the first three steps of System Transformation Excellence and Performance (STEP-VA), which provides deliberately chosen services that comprise a comprehensive care system for those with serious behavioral health disorders.
There is $58 million to expand and modernize the crisis services system. This will include, among other things, investment in additional crisis-receiving centers, crisis stabilization units, and enhancements to existing sites. Thus enhancing services and access for individuals in crisis. There is $4 million to support supervised residential care for 100 individuals, with priority given to projects prioritizing patients on the state’s extraordinary barriers list. There is an additional $30 million investment in Permanent Supportive Housing. There is $10 million for establishing mobile crisis services in underserved areas.
The budget also includes the following:
10% rate increase beginning on January 1, 2024, for the following:
• Intensive In-Home
• Mental Health Skill Building
• Psychosocial Rehab
• Therapeutic Day Treatment
• Outpatient Psychotherapy, and
• Peer Recovery Support Services
• 23 Hour Crisis Stabilization
• Community Stabilization
• Crisis Intervention
• Mobile Crisis Response
• Residential Crisis Stabilization
• Assertive Community Treatment
• Mental Health – Intensive Outpatient
• Mental Health – Partial Hospitalization
• Family Functional Therapy and
• Multisystemic Therapy
The budget incorporates money for the Community Service Board’s (CSB) workforce. This includes $18 million to increase compensation for staff that work at a CSB or Behavioral Health Authority beginning on January 1, 2024. It should be noted that the $18 million is for half a year.
While the investments made in this budget are a good start, there is still a long way to go. Virginia’s behavioral health system suffers from a deficit of resources that must be addressed if Virginia is to be competitive nationally in its behavioral health standing. To review the budget bill, please click here.
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