1 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Why Not Me? 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 2: Embracing Autism and mental health Worldwide, Hosted by Tony Mentor, 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 2: broadcasting from the heart of Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. 4 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 2: Join us as our guests share their raw, powerful stories. 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: Some will spark laughter, others will move you to tears. 6 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 2: These real life journeys inspire, connect and remind you that 7 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: you're never alone. We're igniting a global movement to empower 8 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: everyone to make a lasting difference by fostering deep awareness 9 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: on wavering acceptance, and profound understanding of autism and mental health. 10 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: Tune in, be inspired, and. 11 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 2: Join us in transforming the world, one story at a time. Hi, 12 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: I'm Tony Mantur. Welcome to Why Not Me? Crafting justice, 13 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:14,279 Speaker 2: empowering autism and mental health through legislation. Joining us today 14 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: is Virginia State Senator Creededs, a dedicated public servant with 15 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 2: over three decades of impactful leadership representing Virginia's eleventh District. 16 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 2: Senator Deeds has championed mental health reform driven by personal tragedy, 17 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 2: and passed more bills than any other legislator in the Commonwealth. 18 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 2: From his roots and growing up on a farm to 19 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: his influential role as the chair of the Behavioral Health Commission. 20 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 2: His commitment to working families, education, and progressive change has 21 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 2: made him a trusted voice in Virginia politics. Thanks for coming. 22 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 3: On, sure, thanks for having me. 23 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: Oh, it's my pleasure. I understand that you're an advocate 24 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: for mental health. Could you give the listeners a little 25 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 2: information on what led you to doing what you are 26 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 2: doing today. 27 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 3: Well, my name is Creed Deeds. I've been in the 28 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 3: state Senate since two thousand and one. I was in 29 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 3: how some delegates before that first elective legislature ninety one. 30 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 3: For the most part, for a lot of the years 31 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 3: I've been involved, legislative interests have not been a lot 32 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 3: different from other legislators. Find ways to promote economic growth, 33 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 3: finding ways to support school divisions. I've represented a rural district. 34 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 3: I still do largely so economics develop as hard in 35 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: rural areas, schools are sometimes lagging. You've got to make 36 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 3: sure our kids can compete. So that's been my focus. 37 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 3: A bunch of years ago, my son was diagnosed with 38 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 3: mental littleness. We went through an interesting journey to try 39 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 3: to get him treatment. When he died, I became a 40 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 3: little more interested and more focused on this on mental health. Certainly, 41 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 3: I've worked in mental health and that bring in that 42 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: area for a long time. You know, we have In 43 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 3: two thousand and seven, we had the tragedy of Virginia Tech. 44 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 3: That was preventable, but a lot of these tragedies are. 45 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 3: The kid there was known by many differ front mental 46 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 3: health entities to have problems, but they didn't talk to 47 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 3: one another, and he committed a terrible tragedy. So we 48 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 3: were involved after that, but certainly after my son died, 49 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 3: I got more involved. 50 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: Can you give us a little more insight and information 51 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: about your son. 52 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 3: My son was an incredibly talented and capable kid. He 53 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 3: grew up pretty asthmatic, and so he had some physical limitations, 54 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 3: but he overcame those and he became a star athlete. 55 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 3: He was very musical. He was a valictorian of his 56 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 3: class in high school, and he went to Waven the area. 57 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: He was on deanslist down there. He took a year 58 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 3: off after his first couple of years of college, he 59 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 3: took a semester off. I was running for governor at 60 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 3: the time, and he worked with me worked on that campaign, 61 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 3: and then the next few months he was struggling emotionally 62 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 3: and ended up getting the diagnosis. So he would have 63 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 3: been about twenty one, I guess when he first was diagnosed, 64 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 3: and he died when he was twenty four. 65 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry to hear about that. 66 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: With how you just described Tim, you have had more 67 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: lived experience than most senators the legislators will have. So 68 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 2: how do you use this to get across to other 69 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: senators and the legislators of what you've gone through along 70 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: with what others are going through now, so to create 71 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 2: some legislation that will help all of those, hopefully that 72 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 2: need help. 73 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 3: You know, I've been in the legislature a long time. 74 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 3: Everybody knows me, and well, I'm probably not the most 75 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 3: social person in the world, more of the most friendly 76 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 3: all the time. I'm pretty well liked. I did along 77 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 3: with people on both sides of the isle. When I 78 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 3: came back to the legislature after my son died, I 79 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 3: was in pretty rough shape and people could see that, 80 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 3: and a lot of people not only did they know me, 81 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: they knew my son because he had been with me 82 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: on campaign trail for many years. He was a pretty 83 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 3: well known guy. And so with that generation of legislators 84 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 3: out was able to build coalitions of people to get 85 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 3: things done. 86 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: Can you elaborate on some of the things that you 87 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 2: worked on. 88 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 3: One of the most significant things I did after my 89 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 3: son died was get legislation passed in twenty fourteen to 90 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 3: create a joint some committee to study the mental health 91 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 3: needs of Virginians in the twenty first century. And while 92 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 3: a lot of people clamored for membership, I pretty much 93 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: insisted that the membership had to be made up of legislators, 94 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 3: people that would have to vote on bills, because I 95 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 3: was just haunted by what happened after the twentousand and 96 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 3: seven tragedy of Virginia attack. Tim Kaine, who was governor, 97 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,239 Speaker 3: appointed a Blue Ribbon commission to look into the issue. 98 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 3: They came up with lots of great recommendations. Those recommendations 99 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 3: formed a great volume of work that sits on a 100 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 3: shelf and gathers dust. That's a large part, I think 101 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 3: because there weren't a lot of legislators on that commission. 102 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 3: So I wanted only legislators to be part of the 103 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 3: commission because I want them to be invested in getting 104 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 3: things done, not just making recommendations that they can feel 105 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 3: good about. I want them to get things done. We 106 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 3: can help make people better. 107 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: That makes total sense. Did you see things happen? 108 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 3: That was in twenty fourteen. That commission worked for probably 109 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 3: sixty years or so, and then my sets were and 110 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 3: my sense still is, you know, none of us live forever. 111 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 3: Number one. Number two, the work or mental health reform 112 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 3: is going to go on forever. And so I put 113 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 3: it in a legislation in about twenty twenty or twenty 114 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 3: twenty one, turn the Joint Subcommittee into a permanent Behavioral 115 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 3: Health Commission made up of legislators, something that will outlive 116 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 3: me and will continue the work. And so we've been able. 117 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 3: And that's made up of Democrats and Republicans. We have 118 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 3: a very closely divided legislature in Virginia, with Democrats having 119 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 3: small majorities in both bodies. 120 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: I think that's great because both parties should be concerned 121 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 2: about this because it affects everyone. 122 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: This is non partisan work. Mental health issues do not 123 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 3: affect one party more than the other. They affect all 124 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 3: of us, all of our families. And I wanted to 125 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 3: create a forum that would allow us to make changes 126 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 3: going forward. 127 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 2: That is just really great to hear. I think that 128 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 2: is policy making in its finest. One of the things 129 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 2: that I will hear occasionally is some people will look 130 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 2: at other people differently because they don't feel like they 131 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: have the lived experience that they have. I don't think 132 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 2: you have to have the lived experience to have empathy 133 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 2: and want to help people. After all, we're all in 134 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 2: this together, in this world. I was speaking with the legislator. 135 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 2: They put a bill together and it passed in the 136 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 2: legislator and then got thrown out in the Senate. So 137 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 2: how do we get those people to understand that we 138 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 2: need changes Because some people may do some things and 139 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 2: people will think they're bad to the core. In reality, 140 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 2: the system just failed them. 141 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 3: We need to open our minds a little bit. Each 142 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 3: one of us has lived experiences their mental health issues 143 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 3: in every family in this country, and each one of us, 144 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 3: if we think about it, we've got lived experiences. If 145 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 3: not in our families, certainly in the families that we know, 146 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 3: in the community we live in. We know people that 147 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 3: go through awful situations. 148 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: Yes, I completely agree with you. 149 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 3: What I've tried to do with the Commission is not 150 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 3: always sit in a room Richmond and ruminate ideas about 151 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 3: what we can do to fix the problems. But take 152 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 3: them out to visit behavioral health authorities, take them out 153 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 3: to visit psychiatric hospitals, figure out as much as they 154 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 3: can about the assets and the deficiencies that we have 155 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 3: on our hands, so they're in the best position to 156 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 3: know what they need to do to fix the system 157 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 3: and make it more responsive to people's needs. 158 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: I think that's a great issue that you just brought up. 159 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 2: There's a lot of people that have no clue what 160 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 2: people are going through. They have to go see it, 161 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,199 Speaker 2: feel it. They can't live it, but at least they 162 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 2: get the opportunity to see what others have to live 163 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 2: with on a daily basis. The one problem I see 164 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 2: is when these people get discharged, then they're back into 165 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 2: the real world. 166 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: They might not have to support they need. 167 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 2: So how do we get to people to see what 168 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 2: these people are going through yet understand that they need 169 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 2: more than just what they're getting at that facility. 170 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: They need help afterwards. 171 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 3: I don't really know that you can teach people to 172 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 3: have empathy. I don't know all I know, and I 173 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 3: don't really know that there is a great answer that's 174 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 3: going to work every time for that question. All I 175 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 3: know is that with the people that there is a 176 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 3: competition to be on the Behavioral Health Commission. I'm pleasantly 177 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 3: surprised that there are people that want to be there. 178 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 3: And most of the people that want to be on 179 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 3: the Commission are people who have known someone in their 180 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 3: family or some friend that have known mental health. They've 181 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 3: seen mental health issues firsthand. All I can do if 182 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 3: they don't is take them into situations where they are 183 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 3: likely to encounter people with mental health needs to ill people. 184 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 3: For example, a number of years ago, we went to 185 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 3: a crisis stabilization unit in one of the larger cities 186 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 3: in Virginia and members were able to sit and converse 187 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 3: with people who were se can help there and talk 188 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 3: to them about their problem. That probably happened nine ten 189 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 3: years ago, but they are legislators, former legislators that still 190 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 3: talk about that trip. We went to a crisis stabilization 191 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 3: unit for kids in the small community in Virginia a 192 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 3: number of years later. Again we were able to just 193 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 3: sit down with kids and talk about their issues. I 194 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 3: want my legislators, my Commission members to go into schools. 195 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,719 Speaker 3: I want them to go into every setting imaginable. We're 196 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 3: going to visit the pediatric hospital next week. This one 197 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 3: of those violent hospitals next month, rather one of those 198 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 3: violent facilities we have I means, and we've had a 199 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 3: commission to recommend that it be shut down before that, 200 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 3: we're going to take that step. I want to make sure. 201 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,559 Speaker 3: I want to go put my eyes on it. I've 202 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 3: been there before, but I've been there a while, and 203 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 3: I want other people to go there. 204 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: I think that's a really great idea. 205 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 2: That way people get to see in real life what's happening, 206 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 2: rather than just being told what's happening lots of times. 207 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 2: When you see it, it can be impactful. Now, you've 208 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 2: been in the legislature for quite some time now. Instead 209 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 2: of going to the negative, let's go to the positive. 210 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 2: In the time that you've been there, what have you seen? 211 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:07,439 Speaker 2: It's gotten better. 212 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 3: Sure, this work has been ongoing for I've been in 213 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 3: the legislature about thirty four years so, but I've only 214 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 3: had this work on going for twelve or thirteen years. 215 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 3: The biggest change we made is basically through the budget. 216 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 3: From the late sixties up until the twenty teens, community 217 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 3: service boards, which are the local public health mental health provider, 218 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 3: only had to do two things. They had to provide 219 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 3: emergency services and they had to provide case services when 220 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 3: it was funded. Those were the only mandated services. Certainly 221 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 3: they could do war because of the funny way that 222 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 3: we fund these things, that created a wide disparity in 223 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 3: services around the state. Well, I wanted to make that 224 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 3: services that were necessary were available to people no matter 225 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 3: where they were in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I live 226 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 3: in Charlottesville now, but but I'm a rural you said, 227 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 3: you're a rural guy. I was a member of the 228 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 3: Dirt Road Off of Dirt Road Caucus in the state 229 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 3: Senate for a number of years. I lived way out 230 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 3: of the country, and I want to make sure that 231 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 3: people way out in the country as well as people 232 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 3: in town, have access to services. Through this program called 233 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 3: Step Virginia, we took that list of mandated services from 234 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 3: two to nine. Very expensive. We've had to invest an 235 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 3: awful lot of money in community services, but that was 236 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 3: worth it because we've raised the level of care around Virginia. 237 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 3: That's one thing. Another thing we've done is and this 238 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 3: is probably you know, this is a good thing, but 239 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 3: it's kind of embarrassing. The biggest thing Virginia as a 240 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 3: state does for housing is through the Behavioral Health Commission. 241 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 3: We've initiated this investment long term supportive housing. People that 242 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 3: have struggled with mental illness burn their bridges and they 243 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 3: live with anxiety anyway, and when they are time living 244 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 3: on how long they can stay in supportive housing, it's 245 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 3: not a good situation. We invest about eighty five million 246 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 3: dollars a year and long term supportive housing for people 247 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 3: with mental illness and that has raised the level of 248 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 3: care for those people and raised their ability to live 249 00:12:57,559 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 3: the best life that they can. 250 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 2: Yes, that's awesome. I think that's just great what you're doing. Now, 251 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,559 Speaker 2: what does Virginia have for AOT laws. I think that's 252 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 2: a subject that's pretty important across the country. 253 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 3: The problem is this, we call it mot but mandatory 254 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 3: occupation treatment, but it's not really mandatory, and it's not 255 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 3: really mandatory because we just found the workforce we have. 256 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 3: I think Mental Health America says we're thirty eighth in 257 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,959 Speaker 3: the country for workforce for mental health workforce, I will 258 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 3: tell you this. We have shortages in healthcare across the board, 259 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 3: but and psychiatric services and mental health services. The needs 260 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 3: are acute the shortages are acute. We have about a 261 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 3: thousand or eleven hundred psychiatrists in Virginia, about seventy percent 262 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 3: of them our retirement age. You're very close there too. 263 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 3: We have a crisis. We could have all the MOT 264 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 3: in the world, but will We don't have people to 265 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 3: provide the services. And if we don't have people to 266 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 3: provide the services, we can't function. So we've tried to 267 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 3: be realistic. It is AOT, not MOT, even though we 268 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 3: want it to be MOT. We don't have the people 269 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 3: to provide the care. 270 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 2: So I guess the big question is how do we 271 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 2: bridge that gap. I know some people that have taken 272 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 2: their loved one to a psychologist. They didn't know exactly 273 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 2: how to handle it, so they didn't take them on 274 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 2: because really they were afraid to take them on. There 275 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 2: are people out there that are very qualified, but yet 276 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 2: there's still very afraid. So how do we bridge that 277 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 2: gap to make it better for everyone? 278 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 3: The fear gap? I don't really know how to bridge that. Okay, 279 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 3: well it comes to workforce. You know what we've done 280 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 3: in Virginia and we've had some success, but we haven't 281 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 3: had enough. We have a loan forgiveness program. We'll forgive 282 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 3: the loans student loans of anybody in the behavior house 283 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 3: field if they go to a medically underserved area of 284 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,119 Speaker 3: Virginia and state there are four years. Well, the reality 285 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 3: is the state, just about the whole state is medically 286 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 3: underserved from a psychiatric a mental health standpoint. That's one 287 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 3: thing we've done. The second thing we've done is create 288 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 3: more psychiatric residencies. We figure if we can get people 289 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 3: to stay here or to come here to do residency, 290 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 3: they might find a community they right to live in, 291 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 3: they might find a spouse and now just settle down. 292 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 3: We're trying to do anything we can. We've increased pay 293 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 3: significantly at our community service boards in our hospitals, and 294 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 3: we've had some success with some of our community service boards. 295 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 3: We had success with our hospitals, but this pediatric facility 296 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,239 Speaker 3: I was telling you about, it's the only state facility 297 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 3: for kids. They're forty eight beds, but we've not been 298 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 3: able to staff more than half those beds for more 299 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 3: than three years, and winds up to be the area 300 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 3: that has the most violent kids. It's just really difficult. 301 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 3: We're kind of in a conundrum right now trying to 302 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 3: figure out what to do there and how to provide 303 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 3: for them. And I think the governor has a team 304 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 3: of consultants now taking a look at how we're going 305 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 3: to meet the needs of kids going forward. 306 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 2: Do you have a lot of people that reach out 307 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 2: to you with issues that's going on within their family 308 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 2: or with some loved ones, They just don't know how 309 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 2: to handle it. 310 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: How do you approach that? 311 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 2: And then how do you get them feeling hopeful for 312 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 2: something positive to come out of the legislature. 313 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 3: Well, here's the thing. Being in the legislature in Virginia. 314 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: It's a full time responsibility, but only a part time job. 315 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's tough. I hear that from every legislator I 316 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 2: talk with. 317 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 3: We got lots of calls, we got lots of inquiries. 318 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 3: But I'm a lawyer. I'm in court probably three or 319 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 3: four days a week. Adams sitting in the office waiting 320 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 3: for people to come talk to me about things. Tracy 321 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 3: Appart works with me. She runs the office for me. 322 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 3: She has a great sense of empathy with people. And 323 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 3: after my son died, we became the national clearing noils 324 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 3: for people with mental health issues. You wouldn't believe all 325 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 3: the tragic stuff that came through here and continues to 326 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 3: come through here. And she's done a wonderful job of 327 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 3: holding people's hands and helping them understand how the system 328 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 3: can work, how they can get care. But the reality 329 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 3: is we're kind of overwhelmed sometimes with that. We do 330 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 3: the best we can. 331 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't know how you do it. So 332 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 2: you say that this is a part time job. 333 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 3: It is a part time job, pays eighteen thousand dollars 334 00:16:58,120 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 3: a year. 335 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 2: Okay, so how many hours do you put in on 336 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 2: this part time job. 337 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 3: Well, I'm putting full time work into a part time job. 338 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 3: I'm a full time lawyer. You're in a full time legislator, 339 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 3: full time partially paid legislator. It's just that that's the 340 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 3: way it works. 341 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 2: So a lot of people don't understand that you're limited 342 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 2: on time. 343 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: Yet you put the time. 344 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 2: In even though you're really not getting compensated to do it. 345 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 3: Well, you know, I grew up on a farm in 346 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 3: the country. 347 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: I totally get that. I was raised on a farm 348 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: as well. 349 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 3: So my concept to time is that when you have time, 350 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 3: you do things. You know, you get up early in 351 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 3: the morning and slap the hogs. They need, and you're 352 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 3: counting your cows and making sure that fences were all legal. 353 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 3: There's work all the time. So I grew up like 354 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 3: that and I'm not you know, I'm not looking for 355 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 3: a break. I don't enjoy the politics of what I 356 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 3: do anymore, but I enjoy the work. The work is 357 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 3: meaningful to me. 358 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, and when you can get a bill pass that 359 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 2: really helps people, it's got to make you feel really 360 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 2: accomplished and feel good. 361 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 362 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 2: Unfortunately, people are always going to think that the legislators 363 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 2: aren't doing anything. And that's not just in your state, 364 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 2: that's all across the country. How do you explain to 365 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 2: them so they understand that you are really trying, but 366 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 2: they're in a situation where they feel that you don't 367 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 2: get it, but you really do. How do you get 368 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 2: that across to them? 369 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 3: Well, that's an impossible thing to You can't satisfy all 370 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 3: the people all the time. You do the best you can. 371 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 3: When the legislature's in session, I do a weekly newsletter, 372 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 3: tell them what I've been up to. I get lots 373 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 3: of compliments about that. It's usually pretty long, just explain 374 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,479 Speaker 3: what we've been up to during the year. I do 375 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 3: it periodically throughout the year when substantial things happen. Some 376 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,719 Speaker 3: people are always going to be concerned that I'm not 377 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 3: doing enough for them. That's just the way of the world. 378 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 3: All I can do is do what I can, and 379 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 3: that's what I'm going to keep on doing. 380 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 2: So do you have any bills coming up or are 381 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 2: you working on a legislation that might help the people 382 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 2: that we've been talking about. 383 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 3: We're working on things all the time. The legislature won't 384 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 3: go back into session until January, so we have a 385 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 3: lot of time to good ideas honed the best we can. 386 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 3: Our primary focus right now is workforce. We've got to 387 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 3: make sure we can develop the workforce. We've got to 388 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 3: have the pipeline. I've talked to people at some of 389 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 3: our institutions fire learning figure out how best we can 390 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 3: keep people get people into these fields of work, and 391 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,239 Speaker 3: how best we could keep them. A lot of it 392 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:26,959 Speaker 3: has to do with money, so a lot of it's 393 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 3: budget heary. This past session, We've made a huge amount 394 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 3: of progress over the years in terms of our expenditures 395 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 3: for mental health services. This past year we had the 396 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 3: largest one time mid budget crisis in Medicaid funding. We 397 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 3: had to come up with six hundred and thirty million 398 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 3: dollars just to make Medicaid whole. We have a two 399 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 3: year budget cycle, and so we were again into the 400 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 3: second year and we've never had a situation like that before, 401 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 3: but that kind of cramped our ability to make much 402 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 3: progress this past year from a financial standpoint, But we're 403 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:58,479 Speaker 3: still working. 404 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 2: I can only imagine now. With that said, how do 405 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 2: you deal with it? A lot of these things can 406 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 2: be very, very overwhelming. You have so many people coming 407 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 2: to you, You have so many people that tell you 408 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 2: how much help they need. How do you handle it 409 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 2: so that you know that you're doing this, You're making 410 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 2: as much progress as you possibly can, so you can 411 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 2: get up in the morning feeling good about what you're 412 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 2: trying to do. 413 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 3: Well. You don't feel good every day, you know that 414 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 3: keeps you up at night. Sometimes I don't sleep good 415 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 3: at some nights. All I can do is what I 416 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,399 Speaker 3: can do. You know, I'm just one person. I do 417 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 3: the best I can. I've got good help, and I've 418 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 3: got to get the people that are helping me with 419 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 3: this Behavioral Health Commission. We have a full time staff 420 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 3: tracys interns in this office in the summers. I have 421 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 3: several people that help me. I feel good about what 422 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 3: we can accomplish. I know that there's more to be done. 423 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 3: That's why I keep going. 424 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Now, what about the other 425 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 2: people that you tell with the other senators and legislators, 426 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,479 Speaker 2: how do you find their response in what you're trying 427 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 2: to do on creating these bills that will help the 428 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 2: people that we've been talking about. 429 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 3: Well, sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. But usually 430 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,120 Speaker 3: I can find one or two people that will work 431 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 3: with me on the same goals to get things to accomplished. 432 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 3: Through the Behavioral Health Commission, we can steer things generally 433 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 3: toward fixing some of our mental health needs, and we 434 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 3: can develop consensus around some of those ideas. I've got 435 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 3: other legislators on that commission, as I said, both Democrats 436 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 3: and Republicans, members of the Senate, members of the House, 437 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 3: and we all work in the same direction. We might 438 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 3: have different ideas at the end of the day about 439 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 3: how some things ought to be done, but I found 440 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 3: good partners to work with. 441 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 2: What about the governor? Do you reach out to him 442 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,120 Speaker 2: at all? Do you work together trying to craft things together? 443 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 2: How does that relationship. 444 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 3: Work well in the legislative process. I try to get 445 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 3: things done, and the governor has his own ideas and 446 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 3: may go in a different direction. This governor has had 447 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 3: a focus on mental health. His focus has been a 448 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 3: little different than mine. I'm focused more on keeping people 449 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 3: out of crisis. He's more focused more on crisis response. 450 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 3: But in general, we've had some things to work going together. 451 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 3: There are people in the administration that are good people 452 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,640 Speaker 3: that are focused on finding ways to get things done 453 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 3: to make life better for people with mental illness, and 454 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 3: I've been able to work with them. 455 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 2: Now you've given a lot of information on a lot 456 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 2: of things that you've focused on. 457 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: What about the legal side. 458 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 2: As you know, autistic people and those with serious mental 459 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 2: illness can lots of times do things that they normally 460 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 2: wouldn't do or is misunderstood by the police, and then 461 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 2: all of a sudden it's legal. 462 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 3: That's a huge issue. The intersection of mental health and 463 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 3: criminal justice is awful. We've had bills, the governor veto bill. 464 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,879 Speaker 3: We've tried to decriminalize or defelamize some actions by people 465 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 3: with autism who are assaulting police officers. Because often a 466 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 3: family is a witsand they don't know what to do. 467 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 3: They call the police. The person who's having a fit 468 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,360 Speaker 3: or an attack, they lash out and they're not sure 469 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,680 Speaker 3: what's going on, and the person who they've called for 470 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 3: for help ends up being charged with the crime. It's 471 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 3: a terrible situation. What we've worked on is trying to 472 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 3: find ways to decriminalize mental health, working to fund more 473 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 3: crisis intervention training for police officers so police officers are 474 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 3: better equipped to respond to people in mental illness. We've 475 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 3: got this program called the Marcus of Burke, named after 476 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 3: a young man and Richmond who was having a mental 477 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 3: health crisis and was killed by a police officer a 478 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 3: number of years ago, to try to make sure that 479 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 3: the response to mental health crisis in simply law enforcement, 480 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 3: but also puts some mental health expertise on the ground. 481 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 3: On that end, we've tried also to make sure that 482 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 3: we have better treatment and services available to people that 483 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 3: are in our jails, and we've tried to make sure 484 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 3: that we are we do a better job of planning 485 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 3: for discharge for people that are leaving the system. So 486 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,199 Speaker 3: we've worked at around the edges on various ways, but 487 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 3: there's still. 488 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:08,199 Speaker 1: A problems oh yeah. 489 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,239 Speaker 2: Earlier this spring, I did sixty one straight episodes. It 490 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 2: was for Autism Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, 491 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 2: and we focused on the legal system. I had judges, lawyers, 492 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 2: CIIT trainers, psychologists, forensic psychologists. Everyone agreed that the system 493 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 2: is fractured. This special event I'm doing is crafting justice. 494 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 2: I'm speaking with people such as yourself, as well as 495 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 2: advocates and those that work with legislators in creating new 496 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 2: legislation that ultimately helps those that need help the most. 497 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 2: I'm trying to include everyone that's involved in trying to 498 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 2: make good change for those that needed so. In closing, 499 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 2: what would you like to tell the listeners that you 500 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 2: think that they need to know about everything that you 501 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,360 Speaker 2: you're trying to do with the people that you work with. 502 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 3: My sense is that people ought to have the opportunity 503 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 3: to live the best life they can. They might have 504 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 3: differing nobilities. We all have different abilities, and certainly you 505 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 3: can't help the way you are. You can't help the 506 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 3: conditions you have. There are lots of things that are 507 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 3: out of your control. But we as a commonwealth have 508 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 3: an obligation to try to to give people the tools 509 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 3: they need to succeed to live the best life they can. 510 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 3: And I'm trying the best I can to tear down 511 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 3: the walls of stigma. It's around mental health and get 512 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 3: people the treatment they need to keep people out of crisis. 513 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 3: It's as simple as that, to keep people out of crisis, 514 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 3: to let them live the best life they can. I 515 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 3: want to make this job so that it's not the 516 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,119 Speaker 3: job will always be here, but I don't think it 517 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 3: ought to be on the front page. I think we 518 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 3: need to normalize mental health care. Mental health care is 519 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 3: health care. There's mental health need in every family. We 520 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 3: have to normalize that, and we need to get about 521 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 3: the business of getting people well. And I'm excited about 522 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 3: the future. I know we've got a lot of hard 523 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 3: work out of us, but that's okay. 524 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 2: I cannot agree with you more. Well, this has been great, 525 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:07,639 Speaker 2: great conversation, great information. I really appreciate you taking the 526 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 2: time to join us today. 527 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 3: Sure, thanks for having me. 528 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 2: It's been my pleasure. Thanks again, thanks for taking time 529 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 2: out of your busy schedule to listen to our show today. 530 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 2: We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed 531 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 2: bringing it to you. If you know someone who has 532 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 2: a story to share, tell them to contact us at 533 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 2: whynom dot world. One last thing, Spread the word about 534 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 2: why not Me, Our conversations, our inspiring guests that show 535 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 2: you are not alone in this world.