Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Morgan W. Brown, a longtime homeless advocate who lives in Montpelier.
Recently, someone told me of a joke going around certain circles that goes something along the lines of: What is the recipe for closing the Vermont State Hospital and building a much more robust community-based system in its place?
Just add water.
Others had also previously quipped in one form or another about how it took a tropical storm as well as flooding to do in one day what politicians and advocates have been talking about doing over the course of roughly 30 years.
During all those many years there had been a multitude of conversations, meetings and discussions as well as study upon study done and plan upon plan formulated, including the so-called Futures planning initiative, however, with no real, meaningful or lasting results to show for all the hot air expended and failed efforts, not too mention all the state taxpayer funds wasted in vain while doing so.
The Vermont State Hospital, along with the mental health system as a whole, had become virtually stuck within a vacuum, a massive black hole, seemingly sucking all the energy, available resources and life, as well as removing any opportunities for improvement in being able to do anything better and truly different, out from the realm of possibility.
Frustration and despair reigned and many people became resigned to stick with the status quo and thus settling for less, including by keeping expectations lowered.
Although some have stated there had been consensus on what should be done and this included the building of a new version of the same thing (read: same old treatment model), the only such consensus was in fact merely among those who had agreed about this course, even though there were those of us who had long argued along very different lines and consistently stated such on various occasions.
Among what was being argued by myself as well as others over the years was how crucial it would be to not to focus on beds and institutions, nor the needs of the system and service providers, but rather on what the actual needs of those being served were, including by asking persons currently being served as well as those previously served what they knew to both work and not work in improving outcomes as well as quality of life.
Then, about roughly two months prior to Tropical Storm Irene devastating much of Vermont as well as the town of Waterbury and the state office complex, which included the 54-bed state hospital, Deputy Agency of Human Services Secretary Patrick Flood began reaching out to various stakeholders, including myself, asking for direct input concerning what to do regarding VSH and the mental system as a whole.
It had long been my view that what was missing and sorely needed was a truly open and public discussion as well as process concerning what was needed and about how to proceed. Although some suggested this had already taken place, it in fact had not been the case, not until Tropical Storm Irene forced the matter to the fore.
There have been many lengthy open discussions held since, sometimes these have occurred on a one on one basis and at other times, particularly later in the process, done in group settings with various parties attending.
A slew of various proposals were submitted to the Department of Mental Health for consideration and two different days of review by a variety of stakeholders were held.
Out of this process, not only has Gov. Peter Shumlin and his administration decided not to return to the VSH facility in Waterbury, but he and his team has come up with a plan for moving forward in strengthening mental health services across Vermont. View the video here.
Shumlin’s proposed plan includes yet is not necessarily limited to the following:
•15 bed state managed facility in central Vermont (Fletcher Allen will provide 7 to 10 intensive inpatient beds while this facility is being constructed and staffed)
•14 beds at Brattleboro Retreat
•six at Rutland Regional Medical Center
•Up to five beds secure residential on campus of Windsor Correctional Facility
•Step down beds (transitional beds as people move off acute care)
•Improved emergency services
•Improved individualized services
•Housing vouchers and peer services (people who have been patients who now are willing to run services for others – hotline, beds any number of supports)
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.
In a somewhat related development, Shumlin also recently swapped the roles or positions of Patrick Flood and Christine Oliver, making Flood the commissioner of DMH and Oliver the deputy AHS secretary.
In doing so, the governor stated how “Christine and Patrick have both done an extraordinary job under difficult conditions over the past year. As I have worked closely with them in the wake of Irene, it has become clear to me that at this unique moment, Christine’s background and talents are better suited to managing the agency’s overall work, while Patrick’s legislative and state government experience make him best suited to helping realize my vision for creating a comprehensive, post-Irene mental health system.”
From here on out, the Vermont Legislature will be considering and deliberating over the plan as well as taking testimony from various stakeholders as well as members of the public concerning how best to proceed.
Anyone who desires to be heard on these and related matters should make their opinions known to the governor as well as to their local members of the Vermont Legislature, whether — either or both — directly or via letters to the editor in local or statewide newspapers.
