On Sunday, a diverse crowd of 800+ VOICE leaders and allies from the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association packed the gorgeous sanctuary of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Triangle to meet with Gov. Glenn Youngkin to address the issue of youth behavioral health in Virginia.
It was a powerful afternoon, filled with stories of pain and loss, but also hope.
Gov. Youngkin shared details of his administration’s Right Help, Right Now three-year plan for overhauling Virginia’s behavioral health system. The Governor also made commitments to VOICE and our coalition partners to:
- Consider the coalition’s request to invest $110 million in state funding for mental health Crisis Receiving Centers in the FY2025 state budget.
- Meet with VOICE and our coalition allies again in September, to consider additional reforms and funding for youth behavioral health that the coalition plans to develop, in the lead-up to the 2024 General Assembly;
- Keep prioritizing funding support for behavioral health reform as his administration’s number one priority for the rest of his term.
Check out WJLA’s coverage of Sunday’s assembly for a good rundown of the Assembly: