RICHMOND, Va. – The Henrico Area Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board, Chesterfield Community Services Board, and Richmond Behavioral Health Authority today each introduced a breakthrough Web solution for individuals, families and agencies concerned with behavioral health wellness. These three organizations, working individually and in collaboration, have each established a Network of Care Web site customized to reflect the services available in each of their localities. Network of Care for Behavioral Health (Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Disorders) is an online information place that provides critical information, communication and advocacy tools with a single point of entry. It ensures there is “No Wrong Door” for those navigating the system, those working to avoid the need for formal services, and those ready to transition out of the system.
Sen. Steve Martin, chairman of the Behavioral Healthcare Subcommittee of the Legislative Joint Commission on Health Care, commented, “Network of Care is an exciting innovation for people who are affected by mental disabilities. The site provides immediate access to the many various agencies and services available in the Greater Richmond area. It is comprehensive in its design and accessibility. I am especially pleased that Network of Care will be a resource available to those who live in my community.”
Network of Care (www.networkofcare.org) is a national best practice, recognized for its excellence in the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health July 2003 Report to President Bush: “Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America.” Regardless of where individuals, families and agencies begin their search for assistance with behavioral health issues, Network of Care ensures they will find what they need. The new Web site will enable people to find the right service at the right time; educate themselves about their issues; understand current policy initiatives and advocate directly to elected officials, and better manage their affairs, interactions and important records.
“I am delighted that the Henrico Area Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board, Chesterfield Community Services Board, and Richmond Behavioral Health Authority have collaborated in leading the effort to establish this innovative Network of Care Website in their localities,” stated Dr. James Reinhard, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services. “This system is consistent with our shared vision of empowering individuals on their road to recovery and helping to navigate through what has historically been criticized as a fragmented array of services. Providing improved access to resources that focus on education, prevention, wellness and resiliency, in addition to the spectrum of exceptional professionals who provide assessment and treatment, is critical as the Commonwealth of Virginia continues to transform its mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse system.”
The Network of Care provides a comprehensive Service Directory of the approximately 300 service providers in Henrico, New Kent and Charles City counties, 250 in Chesterfield County, and 260 in the City of Richmond. It puts people in touch with the right services at the right time. Network of Care also provides easy-to-search libraries and vital information about specific disorders, pending legislation and advocacy, as well as daily news articles from around the world concerning behavioral health recovery and wellness.
“This new resource for families and consumers will further the partnership that must exist between the professionals that provide services and those that rely on the services,” said Nita Grignol, member of the Coalition of Mentally Disabled Citizens of Virginia and chairwoman of the Henrico Area Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board of Directors. “For famili