Collegiate Times

On Sept. 13, the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS) announced that the state has received a $409,230 grant to bolster community health services in the Blacksburg and New River Valley area following the tragedy of April 16 at Virginia Tech.

"Events like the April 16 tragedy have a significant emotional impact on individuals and communities in general and can create a post-traumatic stress response for those directly affected ... people can experience symptoms months or even years afterwards," said Dr. James Reinhard, DMHMRSAS commissioner. "These funds are a start to ensuring continued access to needed supports and services."

Financed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the $490,230 grant will help meet the increased demand for counseling and emergency mental health services in the wake of the April 16 tragedy.

"Following DMHMRSAS'S May 10, 2007 grant submission, SAMHSA indicated a revised application was necessary to focus and target services specifically for the New River Valley area," said Meghan McGuire, communications director for DMHMRSAS. "The $409K funding level was determined based on SAMHSA guidance to target services specifically for the New River Valley area."

Services to be provided to the New River Valley (NRV) area include community outreach to be conducted through New River Valley Community Services, responses to requests for emergency services and crisis interventions, pre-screenings for Tech students referred by the Cook Counseling Center at Tech, development of a crisis response plan, and crisis stabilization services to be provided for up to 60 days based on need.

"It has been widely known before the tragedy at Tech that Virginia's public mental health system has needed improvements," McGuire said. "The events surrounding April 16 emphasized the urgency to make needed changes and improve the connections between Virginia's mental health ... and university systems when responding to the treatment needs of individuals with mental illness."  

Populations to be served include adult and youth in the NRV area with a pre-existing mental health disorder exacerbated by the April 16 incident; faculty, staff, and students from Tech who either are not eligible for services on campus or for privacy or other clinical reasons will not seek services on campus; and Tech students considered to be of imminent danger to self or others and need pre-screening.

University spokesman Mark Owczarski said the university will be developing a model for assessing and helping troubled students and staff that will be shared with other schools across the country.

"We will share information with other universities so as many universities as possible can benefit from what we learn," Owczarski said.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said in a statement that the grant will help ensure that students and faculty at Tech have the "continued support they need to recover, rebuild and prevent future acts of violence."

The grant will fund services for approximately nine months, from Sept. 2007 through May 2008, as DMHMRSAS will collaborate with its associate state agencies and work with local, federal, and Tech representatives to provide any necessary training and organization of the services to be provided.

"We recognize the importance of examining our department's role in this complex service system," McGuire said. "And (we) believe it is our shared responsibility to improve our processes wherever possible.