September 12, 2007

COMMENTARY

The deficiencies found in Virginia's mental health system by the Governor's Commission looking into the tragedy at Virginia Tech were not news to the advocates and professionals who encounter the system daily. A number of well-intentioned laws that seek to protect the privacy of persons with mental illness shield them too often from the treatment they need. For thousands who need treatment, there are no programs or services available without months of waiting.

Losing a child in such an unspeakable tragedy as that at Virginia Tech brings untold pain and anguish for parents. Losing a family member or friend to the seemingly impenetrable world of mental illness is also devastating. While too many suffer in silence and attempt to deal with the situation within their own resources, a tragic event like that at Virginia Tech reminds us that we are all involved and that we have a collective responsibility as a moral and safe society.

No one seeks to be mentally ill. Just ask anyone who is. Or ask their family. The hell is too great. But it is a reality that when it befalls someone it cannot be ignored or wished away. Private treatment is an option for those with significant resources. For everyone else it is get in line.

Virginia had the first public institution devoted to the treatment of the mentally ill. The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds opened in 1773 in Williamsburg. For centuries the debate raged as to whether institutional or community-based care was best. According to Pete Earley, journalist and author of the book, Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness, there were 560,000 Americans being treated in 1955 in state hospitals for mental problems. Today there are fewer than 55,000 even though the population of the country increased from 166 million to 276 million during that time. Where are the others? According to Earley, more than 300,000 are in jails and prisons. Another half million are on court-ordered probation. Too many are clearly not getting the treatment they need and are falling through the cracks.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) gave Virginia an overall grade of D in its "Grading the States" report (www.nami.org). As the NAMI report noted, the per capita spending on mental health is 30th lowest among the 50 states even though Virginia is the 9th wealthiest state. Although significant improvements were made during the administration of Governor Mark Warner, Virginia's mentally disabled have been waiting an average of 42 weeks for supervised residential care, and more than 3,000 adults are on waiting lists for care through Community Services Boards.

I will be interviewing Pete Earley about his family's experiences with mental illness as well as the results of his investigation of the mental health system on my weekly television show, "Virginia Report," on Reston Comcast Channel 28 on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. and repeated on Wednesday, September 19 at 10:30 p.m. I have made it a priority for the 2008 General Assembly session to make some sense of the mental health system in Virginia.

Delegate Ken & Jane Plum Thank YOU!

Delegate Ken Plum's Weekly "Virginia Report"
on Reston Comcast Channel 28

Tonight – Wednesday, September 12 at 10:30 p.m. – Patricia Nicoson, Dulles Corridor Rail Association – "Waiting on Rail to Dulles"

Tuesday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, September 19 at 10:30 p.m. – Pete Earley, Pulitzer Prize nominated author and mental health advocate – "Fixing Our Mental Health System"

Re-Election Campaign

Ken is a candidate for re-election to the House of Delegates on November 6, 2007. To ask Ken a question about the issues, e-mail kenplum@aol.com. To contribute electronically to his campaign, go to www.kenplum.com.

Announcements

Voter Registration – The deadline to register to vote for the November 6, 2007, General Election is 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2007. For additional information, call the Registrar's office at 703.222.0776 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb.

Fall is in the air, and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers are getting into gear to clean up litter and debris along more than 14,000 miles of Virginia highways. The Virginia Department of Transportation's statewide event is scheduled for Saturday, September 15, weather permitting. For more information, go to the Adopt-A-Highway pages of www.VirginiaDOT.org or call 1-800-PRIDE-VA (1-800-774-3382).

For information on the Virginia Prostate Cancer Coalition, visit www.vapcacoalition.org.

The Do Not Call Registry is good for five years. If you were among the first to sign up with the registry in June, 2003, you will need to re-register by next June. You can verify that your number is still on the list at www.donotcall.gov (or call 1-888-382-1222) and report the name or phone numbers of violators to the Federal Trade Commission at the same website.

Calendar of Events

Tonight in Reston – the League of Women Voters will discuss "Affordable Housing in the Fairfax Area" at its September meeting at the Reston Museum at Lake Anne, 7:30 p.m. Guests are welcome. Call 703.471.6364 for information. Call 703.658.9150 for the location of the Reston daytime meeting on Thursday, September 13, and other locations. Visit www.lwv-fairfax.org for the League's background material for the meeting and other information.

Don't miss the 2007 Women's Conference hosted by Congressman Jim Moran on Saturday, September 15, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School, 200 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington. Special guest will be Queen Noor of Jordan, international advocate for peace and human rights. The conference will feature breakout sessions on a variety of important issues such as financial planning, preventive health care, elder care, and preventing Internet faud and ID theft. A pizza lunch will be served between sessions. To register or for more information visit www.moran.house.gov or call 703.971.4700.

Participate in the Snakeden Branch Stream Cleanup in Reston on Sunday, September 16, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., rain or shine. All ages are welcome. To sign up, call Ha Brock, Reston Association's Volunteer Coordinator, at 703.435.7986 or email habrock@reston.org.

Actor Brian Hilton will portray George Washington and describes his life from 1732-1760 at the Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive,  on Thursday, September 20, 7:30 p.m. 

Registration is still open for the 9th Annual Virginia Bike Walk Conference, "Biking and Walking in the New World," on September 20-22, 2007, at the Crowne Plaza Fort Magruder Hotel in Williamsburg. More information about workshop and outdoor activities at the Conference is available at www.bikewalkvirginia.org.

Black Women United for Action and The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association invite you to attend the Annual Slave Memorial Wreathlaying Ceremony on Saturday, September 22, 11:00 a.m. at George Washington's Historic Mount Vernon Estate. Visit www.bwufa.org for additional information about the ceremony and a program, "The Ancestors Are Watching," that includes music, poetry readings, dance, art, and refreshments. The event is free, and families are welcome.

The 2007 International Children's Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. This year features young performers from Bolivia, Nepal, Spain, and Sweden. There will be entertainment on four stages featuring over 20 performing groups form near and far including interactive art experiences. Volunteers are also needed. Contact volunteericf07@artsfairfax.org to volunteer or for more information.

Friends of Riverbend Park invite you to the First Annual Harvest Moon Concert on September 22, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. outdoors on the Riverfront at the Riverbend Park Visitor Center. The concert will feature Bluegrass music by The New Old-Time Spring Band. There will be entrance road parking and lawn seating; requested contribution is $5.00 per person. For more information contact forb@verizon.net.

The Eighth Annual Mental Illness Awareness Week Conference, "Recovering Hope," will be held on Friday, September 28, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks, 11787 Lee Jackson Highway. For information call the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board at 703.324.7000.

Sign up for the Northern Neck River Ride in Kilmarnock, Virginia, September 28-30, 2007. Virginia's Northern Neck, "the Garden of Virginia," is the host for the 2nd Annual Northern Neck River Ride. Tour this special and unique peninsula located between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers with 500 cycling enthusiasts. Register at www.riverride.org.

Another sales tax holiday is coming up! From October 5 to October 8 both state and local sales tax are not to be charged when you purchase ENERGY STAR qualified products that cost $2500 or less. The following products are eligible: ceiling fans, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, programmable thermostats, refrigerators, and room air conditioners. ENERGY STAR qualified products use 30% less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features, style or comfort.

The James River Green Building Council will present "Re-Nature by Design: Overcoming Nature Deficit Disorder in Our Communities" on Friday, October 12, 2007, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond. More information about the symposium can be found at www.jrgbc.org.

This year's Commonwealth of Virginia Energy & Sustainability (COVES) Conference will be held on October 16-18 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. Visit www.covesva.org for registration and conference details.

The "2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy – Successful Companies, Engaged Communities" will be held October 24-25 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Visit www.creativeeconomies.org for more information.

Attend the Family Day Care Provider Professional Development Conference on Tuesday, October 30, at the Waterford at Fair Oaks, 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax. For more information visit www.infanttoddler.com.

The Center for Multicultural Human Services presents "We Are America Now: A Celebration of Immigrant Contributions to our Community" on Friday, November 2, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the McLean Hilton. Visit www.cmhs.org for information about nominations for leadership awards to be presented at this event and to register.

The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council will host a one-day regional conference, "Turning a New Leaf," on Friday, November 9, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale campus. The conference will feature tracks on conservation landscapes, green development, and creative stormwater management. Topics include eco-friendly lawns, native alternatives to traditional plantings, backyard forests, rain gardens, stream restoration techniques, and public-private partnerships for green development.  Registration has begun. Visit chesapeakelandscape.org for more details.

The Virginia Recycling Association will hold its Annual Meeting of the Members on Friday, November 9, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Charlottesville. To join the VRA and/or register for the Annual Meeting, visit www.varecycles.org or call the VRA at 804.302.4231.

Attend the "Development and Urban Forest: Discovering Common Ground" conference on Friday, November 16, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Algonkian Conference Center at Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Driver, Sterling, VA. For registration information, contact Becky Woodson at becky.woodson@dot.virginia.gov.

Authorized and Paid for by Kenneth R. Plum

Delegate Kenneth R. Plum | 2073 Cobblestone Lane | Reston | VA | 20191