By Teddy Jacobsen
State Sen. Creigh Deeds is getting ready to fight for more directed funding for behavioral mental health jobs, treatment and other services.
Deeds, who represents the 25th district, says he’s preparing over 60 amendments that he plans to offer when the General Assembly works out the final details of the state’s budget.
“I’m prepared to hang on for the things that I think are important as long as I can,” he said.
Deeds has been critical of Gov. Glenn Youngkin for a $230 million mental health proposal that the senator says is combining funding for behavioral health and developmental disabilities.
Deeds says the two categories should be funded separately.
“When the governor says he’s spending $230 million on behavioral health, he’s really not,” said Deeds. “He’s spending about $150 million on behavioral health, and the rest goes to developmental disabilities.”
Behavioral health is a key issue for Deeds, whose son, Gus, committed suicide in 2013 after attacking his father with a knife, seriously wounding the older Deeds. Since then, the senator has made behavioral mental health his signature issue.
“I think my personal experience just makes me a little bit better of an advocate on these issues and gives me a little more credibility,” Deeds said.
The senator said his main budget amendment includes a $160 million investment in new behavioral health jobs and higher pay for people who are already working in the field. Deeds said funding should go toward raising pay for people who work in psychiatric hospitals.
Deeds said his budget amendments would also deal with funding for mental health housing and raising reimbursement rates for Medicaid.
The senator said the state’s budget could be finished this month. He said the session also could last until June, which was the case last year.