Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Mental‑health system pressures: transports, more competency evaluations and travel‑nurse costs raised at appropriations hearing
Summary
Department of Mental Health Commissioner Emily Hawkes told the Senate Appropriations Committee that rising transports, broadened competency evaluations and heavy reliance on travel nurses are increasing costs at state psychiatric facilities and in community crisis response.
At the Jan. 8 Senate Appropriations hearing, Emily Hawkes, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health (DMH), outlined system pressures that are driving costs across crisis response and inpatient care.
Hawkes described the “foundation of our community mental health system” as community supports — micro residential programs, youth group homes, adult group residential homes and family‑based outpatient services — and said crisis response and inpatient resources sit higher in that service pyramid. "Without those community mental health supports, the rest of the pyramid doesn't exist," Hawkes said.
She told senators DMH has seen increased…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
