Read press release issued by Speaker Shapleigh Smith.

"The bill grants former state hospital employees the opportunity to exercise reemployments rights to fill positions in the new state operated acute bed facility. H. 630, advanced by a vote of 123-3, will be considered for final passage in the House Friday before it heads to the Senate for its consideration.

“What’s regrettable is this debate is about community mental health versus in-patient beds, when really we need to fund both properly for an effective mental health system,” [VSEA Legislative Coordinator Conor] Casey said.

In addition to New Mexico, "five additional states incarcerated more than a quarter of their prison population privately – Montana (40 percent), Alaska (33.5 percent), Hawaii, (32.7 percent), Idaho (30.1 percent), and Vermont (27 percent)."

"[Windham County Sheriff Keith] Clark writes of one incident at Christmas when a patient was transported from St. Johnsbury to Brattleboro, where there was no bed available in a psychiatric facility. So the patient spent nearly four days at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, under the guard of Windham County deputies."

Fletcher Allen Nurses Also Begin Speaking Out

Clips from presenters at a Jan. 25 "Vermonters for Quality Mental Health" press conference. All in coalition support large, centralized state hospital.

"I don't know if going back to two years ago [to what then Sen. Shumlin told the VSEA Board his vision for the VSH was] is relevant to where we are today," [Sec'y of the Admin Jeb] Spaulding said.

This quote falls flat when you consider VSH employee after VSH employee has testified that the Governor came to a VSH picnic just weeks prior to Irene, promising employees he "would build them a new, 54-bed State Hospital."  That is relevant and it's unfortunate it wasn't included in the story that aired on WCAX.

House Human Services Passes Out Bill With 25 Acute Beds!

"In discussions on Wednesday, eight out of 10 lawmakers on the Human Services committee, including the chair, agreed that the state needs a 25-bed, state run facility. Most also said the structure should be designed in such a way that wings can be added on to it in future if the community mental health system plans and placements at regional hospitals don’t work out."

"This is a good first step to ensure there are an adequate number of acute mental health beds in central Vermont," said VSEA Legislative Director Conor Casey. "VSEA caregivers are encouraged by the news but hopeful that nothing is set in stone yet and that there will still be consideration for even more beds as the plan works its way through the legislative process."

When campaigning for Governor, listen to what then Sen. Peter Shumlin told the VSEA Board of Trustees about his vision for the future of the Vermont State Hospital.

"This dream to partner with private hospitals will never work."

Erica Smith of East Montpelier, a psychiatric nurse for 15 years who worked at the state hospital and now is in community mental health, said community treatment can have “wonderful” results for some people. But she cautioned that people misunderstand the high level of illness that afflicts some patients and some just do not do well in community programs and need intensive care. “I am very fearful 16 beds is not enough and people are not going to survive in the community with this many beds,” she said.

Associated Press Story
WPTZ