The bill, which is expected to be signed into law in 2024, must first win the support of both Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the state Democratic Party, which controls both chambers of the Legislature. We all know someone who struggles with mental health or addiction, so here are some areas where I think there is bipartisan agreement. That means our communities are stronger and safer when people who need behavioral and developmental health services have access to them.
As Executive Director of the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia (SAARA), I have seen firsthand how addiction services transform lives and strengthen families. We have also seen the devastating effects when people become a danger to themselves and others because they do not have the support they need to recover.
However, Virginia government agencies tasked with providing these services continue to lack the workforce needed to meet the growing health needs of their communities. We need more addiction counselors, therapists, and peer support professionals to help people receive treatment for addiction. Without these professionals, our friends and neighbors who need their services would be left in the lurch, leading to poor health outcomes and increased recidivism. Thankfully, we can go a long way toward addressing this issue by amending Virginia's outdated barrier crime laws.
Currently, we do not allow qualified applicants to fill these critical positions, especially as prior convictions for drug use-related crimes do not allow employment in agencies regulated by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). Too many people are being rejected. Although some of the regulations in place are very felonies, many of Virginia's current laws are otherwise very effective and require candidates who have served time in prison and have maintained long-term sobriety. are restricted from being excluded from these positions.
To address this dire workforce need, we need to change the rules for testing and restricting misdemeanors, such as reckless boating, for example.
There are currently more than 170 crimes listed as barrier crimes, including both felonies and misdemeanors. For an applicant to be eligible for review, only one of these offenses must be on her record and she will be allowed to work at DBHDS. Although this policy may sound reasonable at first glance, it is important to note that the applicant may have been charged with multiple crimes stemming from the same incident, or that he may have had multiple charges dating back more than 10 or even 20 years. I often do this. Additionally, in order to be considered, applicants must first receive a job offer. This rule creates an additional barrier, as recruiters may be reluctant to make an offer to a candidate without a guarantee that they will pass the selection process.
Virginia's decades-old barrier crimes law faces challenge in federal court
Breaking down these barriers to employment will allow DBHDS licensed facilities to hire counselors who are not only qualified for the job, but have lived experience working with the populations DBHDS serves. This has a double benefit. People who are rebuilding their lives after serving time can give back by providing much-needed assistance to those currently in need of life-saving addiction support.
It is often easier for a counselor to build credibility and a deeper connection with someone who may be at the lowest point in their life because they know the suffering firsthand. Counselors who have served time in prison and experienced sobriety have a unique perspective that can offer hope, inspiration, and a roadmap to those who feel there is no way out. We will reform standards so that people struggling with mental health and addiction can receive counseling from people who have been in their shoes and know exactly what it feels like to hit rock bottom. Must be.
Thankfully, a bipartisan legislative effort led by Sen. Marcia “Shea” Price (D-Newport News) and Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abington, will address Virginia’s crime prevention law. We are taking sensible, common sense steps to House Bill 1269 and Senate Bill 626 Allows people who have been convicted of certain crimes, served time in prison, and are in recovery to apply for jobs at certain treatment centers. These are much-needed reforms and should be passed now while we have the chance. If we want to address the opioid crisis we face, action is needed. We have an opportunity to grow our workforce by hiring talented people who are not only success stories themselves, but also willing to serve as guides for others as they begin their recovery.
We at SAARA, along with a variety of organizations, will work to ensure these bipartisan bills cross the finish line and be signed by Governor Yonkin this Congress. With the lives and livelihoods of too many people at risk, Virginia can no longer afford to do nothing.
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