ICYMI: A win-win: addressing Va.’s mental health workforce shortage and getting people addiction help
As seen in the Virginia Mercury FEBRUARY 14, 2024 6:06 AM
(Getty Images)Any bill that gets signed into law in 2024 must first earn the support of both Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state Democrats, who control both chambers of the General Assembly. We all know someone struggling with mental health or addiction, so here’s an area where I think we can find bipartisan agreement: our communities are stronger and safer when people who need behavioral and developmental health services can access them.
As the executive director of the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance (SAARA) of Virginia, I have seen firsthand how addiction services change lives and strengthen families. I’ve also seen the devastating impact when people become a danger to themselves or others because they can’t find the support they need to get better.
Yet the Virginia agency tasked with providing these services continues to lack the workforce necessary to meet the growing health needs of our communities. We need more addiction counselors, therapists, and peer support specialists to help people get treated for addiction. Without these professionals, our friends and neighbors who need their services will fall through the cracks, which will lead to poorer health outcomes and increased recidivism. Thankfully, we can make major headway in addressing this problem by reforming Virginia’s antiquated barrier crimes law.
Right now, too many qualified applicants are denied the ability to fill these critical positions because past convictions, especially for substance use-related offenses, prevent them from being hired by agencies regulated by Virginia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). While some of the rules in place make sense for very serious felonies, much of Virginia’s current law restricts from these positions candidates who are otherwise very strong, who have served their time and been sober for years.
Rules around screenings and restrictions for misdemeanors – like recklessly driving a boat, for example – must be changed to address this dire workforce need.
There are currently over 170 offenses that are listed as barrier crimes, which include both felonies and misdemeanors. Applicants must have no more than one of these crimes on their record in order to be eligible for a screening, which would clear them to work for DBHDS. While this policy may sound reasonable on its face, often applicants were charged with multiple offenses stemming from the same incident, or they have multiple charges that are more than 10 or even 20 years old. Furthermore, to even qualify for a screening, applicants must have first received a job offer. This rule creates additional barriers because hiring managers may be less inclined to extend an offer to a candidate without the guarantee that they will pass the screening.
Breaking down these barriers to employment would allow DBHDS-licensed facilities to hire counselors who are not only qualified for the job, but who have the lived experiences to relate to the people DBHDS serves. This is a dual benefit: people looking to rebuild their lives after serving their time can give back by providing desperately-needed help to people currently in need of life-saving addiction support.
It is often easier for a counselor who knows the struggle firsthand to build credibility and a deeper connection with someone who may be at one of the lowest points of their lives. A counselor who has served time and found sobriety has a unique perspective that can offer hope, inspiration and a roadmap to a person who otherwise might feel like there is no way out. We must reform our standards to empower people who are struggling with mental health or addiction to be counseled by people who were once in their shoes, who know exactly what it feels like to hit rock bottom.
Thankfully, bipartisan legislative efforts led by Del. Marcia “Cia” Price, D-Newport News, and Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abington, take smart, commonsense steps to address barrier crime laws in Virginia. House Bill 1269 and Senate Bill 626 would allow people convicted of certain crimes, who have served their time and remained in recovery, to apply for positions at certain treatment centers. These are much-needed reforms that should be passed now while we have the opportunity. We need action if we want to tackle the opioid crisis we are facing. We have an opportunity to increase the workforce with talented people who are not only success stories themselves, but who are willing to be a guiding light for others who want to start their recovery.
We at SAARA, along with diverse organizations, are committed this legislative session to ensuring these bipartisan bills make it across the finish line and are signed by Gov. Youngkin. Too many people’s lives and livelihoods are on the line, and Virginia cannot afford another year of inaction.
This Op-ep was published in the Virginia Mercury the full link: https://virginiamercury.com/2024/02/14/a-win-win-addressing-va-s-mental-health-workforce-shortage-and-getting-people-addiction-help/