House approves plan for 25-bed for new state hospital and more extensive community psychiatric care
By a 124-3 vote, legislators agreed with Pugh, chairwoman of the House Human Services Committee, that it was time to seize “this tremendous opportunity growing out of the crisis Irene gave us.”
Proposal to replace Vermont State Hospital with a 25-bed facility approved by committees
The GOP has agreed to suspend the rules and the House will take up the bill on Thursday.
By the numbers: Proposed mental health system could be more costly
Medicaid reimbursements may not be available for a proposed 25-bed state psychiatric facility that would replace the Vermont State Hospital.
At hearing, mental health advocates, state employees criticize governor’s plan to decentralize care for acute psychiatric patients
While many praised community-based services as an appropriate alternative to institutionalization, most said a 16-bed facility will be insufficient.
Committees briefed, at length, on mental health options
The issue of how many acute care beds are needed to replace the Waterbury State Hospital remains the elephant in the mental health room for lawmakers and advocates alike, and the experts danced around that question.
Brown: Beyond Vermont State Hospital
Although it is my opinion that the administration’s current plan still focuses too much on institutional beds, particularly what I view as being the same old treatment model and should instead go much farther in building a more robust community services system than is already being planned, one much less dependent on the medical model as well forced treatment and medication in general, at the same time I do happen to believe the plan is certainly heading in the right direction toward attempting to do so.
State hospital workers urge lawmakers to consider a centralized facility for psychiatric patients
An official said the state of Minnesota tried similar sized 16-bed facilities similar to Shumlin’s proposal. That system he said has failed.
Official outlines dollars and details for state hospital plan
The panel got a front row seat on the central disagreement over the plan when the head of Fletcher Allen’s Health Care’s psychiatric unit said the state cannot get by without a 30-40 bed state hospital.
VSEA: Governor’s plan for state hospital faces “a long bumpy ride”
Casey: “We’re going to fight this thing every way we can. We feel it’s a very bad policy decision. We feel a central facility is the best option.”
Shumlin proposes to decentralize treatment centers to replace Vermont State Hospital
Shumlin’s proposal sits atop a tall pile of previous ideas: The debate over the state hospital and what form its replacement should take has stretched on for around a decade.
