Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg is the largest of nine state-run psychiatric hospitals. (Photo courtesy of DBHDS)
As Virginia’s General Assembly clears the midpoint of its legislative session, lawmakers are backing several changes to help ease the strain on the state’s psychiatric hospital system but have shown reluctance to change its bed of last resort law.
Virginia’s behavioral health system has faced steep challenges with overcrowding and understaffing in recent years, culminating in the state temporarily closing five of its psychiatric hospitals to new admissions in July 2021. A recent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found that while industry standards call for no more than 85% of staffed beds at psychiatric hospitals to be filled due to safety concerns, bed capacity at seven of the state’s nine psychiatric hospitals routinely exceeds 95%, with three operating at 100%.
State report recommends sweeping changes to Virginia psychiatric hospital system