On the eve of the Legislative
session, the Shumlin Administration says a big funding question has been
settled. Federal funds and insurance payments will cover about 70 percent of the cost of
a new state hospital and other improvements to the mental health system.
We discuss the challenges the Department of Mental Health is facing and
the plans for navigating forward as it still feels the effects of Tropical Storm Irene.
The state mental health
system has suffered another setback with the resignation of the medical
director of the Vermont State Hospital. The system was already under
strain with patients needing psychiatric help waiting days in emergency rooms
for care.
A panel of lawmakers and state officials will take testimony this afternoon from
people concerned about the future of mental health and substance abuse services
in Vermont.
When Tropical Storm Irene forced the
closure of the Vermont State Hospital last year, it meant the loss of more than 50 beds for
psychiatric patients. And that has resulted in an
increase in the number of people who are waiting in emergency rooms because
there aren’t enough mental health beds available.
We get an update from Mental Health Commissioner Patrick Flood on how the state is coping a year after the closure of the state hospital in Waterbury and we hear about a new program that helps families discuss end-of-life care.
The state
says it’s making progress on many levels as it overhauls Vermont’s system of mental health care. But
officials are troubled by one disturbing sign: an increasing number of people are
waiting in emergency rooms because there aren’t enough mental health beds
available.
The state’s new mental health care system will rely on two private hospitals to care for
psychiatric patients, in addition to building a new state facility.