DELEGATE ROBIN ABBOTT STANDS UP FOR VIRGINIANS WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES

Delegate Abbott, as a former appointee to the Hampton-Newport News Community Service Board of Directors, as parent, and now as the Delegate from the 93rd District representing Newport News and James City County spoke on the day of her eldest son Nicholas’ 30th birthday to address the care services that Virginia provides its citizens who have of mental health and physical disabilities and emphasized the toll and hard work to which these families are engaged in and consumed with throughout their lives. While Abbott commended the Appropriation Committee’s work to un-freeze the medical waiver slots for Virginians in need, she also emphasized that dire actions remain in the budget that will seriously affect services in localities.

Currently there are over 5,000 Virginians in dire need of these services and it is fiscally more responsible, and importantly, more medically and socially successful in terms of development with both families and the patients themselves, for patients to be in community based care rather than being faced with institutionalization as the only option. Delegate Abbott applauded the work that Community Service Boards do for our communities, and emphasized the importance of keeping the integrity of, and rebuilding the waiver slot system of care.