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Public Law 102-321 requires that states develop and implement comprehensive mental health plans for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances and that state plan implementation be monitored and progress reported annually. The requirements of congressional planning legislation have provided Virginia with an excellent opportunity to build upon existing local and Departmental planning processes for community mental health services, and broaden the range of constituencies involved in active and meaningful planning roles. The primary vehicle for accomplishing this increased constituent involvement has been a broad-based, statewide Mental Health Planning Council.

Virginia's Mental Health Planning Council represents consumer, family, and advocacy interests. A roster of Council membership is attached and shows the following groups represented:

• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Virginia Chapter

• Mental Health Association of Virginia

• Parents and Children Coping Together

• DMHMRSAS Advisory Council, Services for People Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened, or DeafBlind

• State human services and related agencies

• Facility and community service providers

  P.L. 102-321 has strengthened the link between Virginia's mental health planning process and the targeting and allocation of funds for community programs. Pursuant to the provisions of P.L. 102-321, federal block grant funds must support the implementation of state mental health plans. As part of its proceedings, the Mental Health Planning Council reviews the annual Mental Health Plan and Block Grant Application and formulates recommendations which are included as an essential component of the application package.

Public Law 102-321 states explicitly that the Council members' role encompasses active advocacy for a more responsive service system and assistance in the monitoring, implementation and oversight of service system objectives of Virginia's Mental Health Plan. Council members advocate for the continuing development and expansion of a comprehensive community-based service system for Virginia's priority mental health populations -- adults with a serious mental illness, children and adolescents with a serious emotional disturbance, and children at risk of developing a serious emotional disturbance. The Council is especially interested in assuring that mental health consumers in Virginia receive quality care, case management services, and housing services. The Council is committed to assuring that the provision of these services is coordinated among agency providers.

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The mission of the Virginia Mental Health Planning Council is to advocate for a consumer and family-oriented, integrated and community-based system of mental health care of the highest quality.

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1. The Council serves as the primary, on-going forum for articulating and building consensus among consumers, families and other advocates, state agencies, and mental health providers and planners around the needed values, priorities, and goals that will insure a system of services and supports of the highest quality for children and adults.
2. The Council annually reviews the Federal Block Grant Application, which includes the Mental Health Plan of Virginia, and based on an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses, makes recommendations to the Director of Mental Health, the Commissioner and State Board of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, and the Governor of Commonwealth of Virginia.
3. The Council continuously monitors and evaluates the implementation of the state's Mental Health Plan including:
   1. the allocation, adequacy and quality of services to children with serious emotional and mental disorders and adults with serious mental illness,
   2. the congruence between existing services and the Commonwealth's stated values, priorities and goals, and,
   3. the plan's impact on improving the quality of life for Virginia's mental health consumers and their families.

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Committees are envisioned as being the major vehicle by which the Council monitors the development and implementation of the Plan. The creation of these committees, as well as the Steering Committee, is designed to move the Council in a direction that is more focused, more proactive, more outcome-oriented, and allows for more discussion and debate The standing committees of the Council are:

• Evaluation, Monitoring and Oversight - The Evaluation, Monitoring and Oversight Committee will review on a regular basis data gathered by the DMHMRSAS on public mental health services, with particular attention given to the quarterly and annual reports submitted by CMHS Block Grant-funded programs. The Committee will monitor performance indicators and progress toward targets included in the Mental Health Plan.

• Advocacy - The Advocacy and Human Rights Committee will develop strategies to enhance the capability of the Council to advocate with all branches of government and the general public to enhance the quality of services to adults with serious mental illness and children and adolescents with or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance.

• Adult Services - The Adult Services Committee has primary responsibility to identify service priorities including addressing the various criteria in the annual Mental Health Plan. The Committee will become informed regarding the statewide system of publicly funded services for adults with serious mental illness and work with Department staff to develop priorities, goals and objectives, indicators and targets.

• Child and Adolescent Services - The Child and Adolescent Services Committee has primary responsibility to identify service priorities including addressing the various criteria in the annual Mental Health Plan. The Committee will become informed regarding the statewide system of publicly funded services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance and work with Department staff to develop priorities, goals and objectives, indicators and targets.
• All council members, except officers, will be requested to serve on a standing committee.

• Committees will obtain resources and expertise beyond the Council members as needed in accomplishing their tasks.

• Ad-hoc committees may be established by the President as needed.

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