Kaine Seeks to Bolster Mental Health Funding

One of the more controversial changes that Kaine announced yesterday was in the criteria for emergency custody and temporary detention. Judges and magistrates currently cannot order people into a treatment facility unless they are "an imminent danger to [themselves] or others as a result of mental illness" or so seriously mentally ill as to be "substantially unable to care for [themselves]."

Virginia is one of only five states to have such a high bar for commitment, and supporters say the proposed change would improve treatment for many mentally ill people.

Kaine's proposal would change that standard to a "substantial likelihood that in the near future" a mentally ill person will cause "serious physical harm to himself or another person."

But some mental health advocates were skeptical of the proposed change.

"They're going down this path without any proof that anyone can concretely predict whether someone will become dangerous or violent," said Diane Engster, president of the Northern Virginia Mental Health Consumers Association, an advocacy group that opposes changing the commitment standard. "Changing the standard won't help that."

Still, politicians from both parties predicted that many of Kaine's proposals would sail through the General Assembly.

Lori Haas, mother of injured Virginia Tech student Emily Hass, said she had mixed feelings about the governor's plan.

"There is certainly more to be done, but this is certainly a big and grand first step," she said.