A bill originally intended to codify admissions criteria at Vermont’s first psychiatric facility exclusively for patients committed by a criminal court underwent major revisions over the course of the legislative session. By the time S.192 passed in May, lawmakers and...
The Vermont General Assembly approved a bill requiring the Office of Professional Regulation to certify peer support providers. It will take effect on July 1, 2025. In 2022, Vermont’s five peer mental health organizations sought to persuade the legislature to enact a...
State inspectors will have to approve a planned “psychiatric residential treatment” program for adolescents at the Brattleboro Retreat before it can begin operations. Rep. Anne Donahue drafted a successful amendment to the legislature’s annual appropriations bill this...
Across the country, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has made peer support an integral part of mental healthcare. Vermont is no exception. Nationally, the Veterans Health Administration employs about 1,400 peers. Joshua Gerasimof, a supervisory peer specialist,...
Budget Provides Small Increase for Mental Health The state’s new fiscal year will start on July 1. In its annual appropriations bill, the legislature increased the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Vermont’s community mental health centers by 3%. In January, Gov. Scott...
Some researchers say that psychedelic drugs can help people facing mental health challenges. But the Vermont General Assembly wants to find out more before taking any potential action. In January, Sen. Martine Gulick introduced a bill that would have decriminalized...
