CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) – Chesterfield Sheriff Karl Leonard is raising concerns about the nation’s mental health care system, which he believes has been failing for decades.
“This isn’t a new problem that just showed up, this has been happening for the last four decades after we started shutting down mental institutions across the country,” said Sheriff Leonard. “Unfortunately, for most people across the country, they end up going to their local jails until they can get some help.”
Sheriff Karl Leonard(Source; WWBT | WWBT)
This situation recently became a reality for Sheriff Leonard after a woman, who was in a mental health crisis, spent days inside the Chesterfield County Jail waiting for a bed to open at Central State Hospital.
Sheriff Leonard said the woman was issued a temporary detention order, which is a legal order issued by a magistrate requiring someone experiencing a mental health crisis to stay in a hospital or treatment facility for care.
“We were told she was number five on the list at Central State when we first called them,” said Sheriff Leonard.
72 hours later, Sheriff Leonard said the woman was still fifth in line on the waiting list for a bed at Central State Hospital.
Sheriff Leonard said a woman experiencing a mental health crisis was on a waiting list to go to Central State Hospital.(Source; Sheriff Karl Leonard | Sheriff Karl Leonard)
“If you’re in need of help, you should be able to get that help when you need it, there shouldn’t be a waiting list for people in crisis,” he said.
By that point, Sheriff Leonard said the woman’s TDO expired, which allowed her to leave without accessing mental health treatment.
“What do I tell the family, what do I tell the parents of this young lady who was in my jail, when I say here’s your daughter back, couldn’t get her any help, sorry you’re on your own. That’s a complete failure of this nation in addressing the mental health needs we have,” Sheriff Leonard said.
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services told 12 On Your Side the agency can’t comment on this specific case due to state and federal privacy laws.
Central State Hospital, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services(Source; WWBT | WWBT)
A spokesperson for the agency told 12 On Your Side the census and waitlist online dashboard shows state hospitals are currently operating at 100.4 percent capacity as of Wednesday morning.
“The dashboard also shows the high number of forensic patients at our state hospitals, with hospitals like Central State in Petersburg and Eastern State in Williamsburg with as many as 84-90% of beds occupied by forensic patients,” said a spokesperson over email. “Because state hospitals are required to take forensic patients within a certain timeframe, this limits the availability of beds for civil admissions and in some cases can lead to individuals being transported significant distances to receive inpatient care.”
The spokesperson said pressures, including a rise in forensic patients and the Bed of Last resort law, have strained the system significantly and are committed to alleviate this.
“DBHDS staff, in partnership with Virginia’s 40 CSBs, have been working hard to alleviate the strain on the system and ensure Virginians are able to access the care they need as quickly as possible and as close to their community as possible,” said a spokesperson over email. “Through continued development of the crisis system and Virginia’s behavioral health workforce, in addition to ongoing efforts to reduce the number of forensic patients in state hospitals, we remain focused on ensuring people across the Commonwealth are able to access the care they need to move forward in recovery and live lives of possibility.”
However, Sheriff Leonard believes more needs to be done.
“We’ve got to stop criminalizing mental illness and get the proper bedspace we need in the medical facilities that are better trained, equipped and resourced to treat them,” he said.
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