State auditor says conditions in Virginia's youth psychiatric hospital "abhorrent"
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Things have gotten so bad at Virginia's only state-run psychiatric hospital for children that it should be shut down, state auditors concluded in a report released this week.
- The facility stands out as the worst among Virginia's nine state-run psychiatric hospitals, per the review by the legislature's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Why it matters: The document called the hospital an "immediate threat to the health and safety of the patients."
- The patients, who generally range in age from 12 to 17, are among the most vulnerable in the state's mental health system.
- Most children admitted to the facility are diagnosed with disorders related to trauma, impulse control and depression.
By the numbers: The Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents, in Staunton, had the:
- Highest rates of violence.
- Highest rates of patient self-harm.
- Highest rate (and raw number) of substantiated human rights complaints.
- Highest use of physical restraints against patients.
What they're saying: Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Manassas, called the numbers "abhorrent" during a meeting reviewing the findings Monday.
- "It turns my stomach," he said.
The other side: Nelson Smith, Gov. Youngkin's commissioner of behavioral health, cast the poor performance as a holdover from the Gov. Northam's administration.
- He said improvements are already in the works, citing a change in leadership after Youngkin took office and a reduction in the use of restraints this year and staffing improvements.
Of note: Youngkin's administration has no plans to act on the audit's recommendation that the facility be shut down, said John Littel, Youngkin's secretary of health and human resources, per the Times-Dispatch.
Context: Virginia's state-run psychiatric hospitals have been struggling for years.
- In 2021, half of the system closed to new admissions, with administrators citing a "dangerous environment where staff and patients are at increasing risk for physical harm."
The big picture: The latest review found those issues have persisted, with state hospitals still operating at or above maximum capacity and struggling to attract and retain staff.
- Auditors blamed an array of factors, including a 2014 law that barred state hospitals from refusing patients who are subject to involuntary commitment.
What we're watching: The review suggested a variety of ways the state could divert more patients to private facilities, which are not facing the same overcrowding pressure.
- It also suggested increasing salaries for key positions, like social workers and psychologists, to reduce turnover.