RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new state audit found that Virginia’s behavioral health agency lacks a clear policy for when custody of forensic patients transfers from law enforcement to hospital staff. This has raised concerns about safety, legality and accountability.
On Wednesday, April 1, the Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) released a 13-page report detailing its findings of forensic patients at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services (DBHDS), which oversees the Commonwealth’s public behavioral health and developmental services system.
DBHDS operates 12 facilities, which provide care and treatment to a wide variety of people — including children, older adults, those with complex needs and those with serious medical conditions, per OSIG. More than half of these facilities cater to those with psychiatric conditions, intellectual disabilities and/or behavioral health needs…