The Henry County Board of Supervisors approved a grant application on Tuesday that, if awarded, would enhance the region’s ability to support individuals undergoing emergency crises related to mental health and substance abuse.
Approximately $4.7 million is being requested in grant funds from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to cover renovation and operational costs for Piedmont Community Services’ (PCS) Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center (CITAC).
Currently, CITAC only has the capacity to accept four individuals on an emergency custody order. This limitation, in addition to the inability to clear aggressive or medically compromised individuals, has increased the burden on local law enforcement who must dedicate on-duty personnel to accompany the individuals for the duration of their stay at the hospital.
To alleviate these conditions, the grant funds will be used to create a 16,000-square-foot crisis intervention center that can provide services to six adults and two children. The funds will also be used to establish a 23-hour crisis unit that can treat eight adults and six children and to establish a crisis stabilization unit that can treat 12 adults and eight children. In addition, PCS will add a medically managed withdrawal section to support individuals in need of detoxification. The organization is currently in the process of obtaining its pharmacy license and other necessary prerequisites to provide 24-hour care.
This grant application is part of a regional project that includes PCS, the City of Martinsville, and Henry, Franklin, and Patrick counties. Henry County will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant.
In other matters, the Board:
- Approved a proclamation recognizing April 7-13, 2024, as National Library Week.
- Approved a resolution recognizing the 70th anniversary of the Fontaine Ruritan Club.
- Approved an additional appropriation of $35,226 received from the Circuit Court Records
Preservation Grant Program. - Awarded a contract to Sheehy Ford for $78,617 to purchase two 2024 Ford Police Interceptor
Utility Vehicles. - Approved an additional appropriation of $3,584 received from the Virginia State Police H.E.A.T.
grant program. - Approved an additional appropriation of $40,000 received from vehicle insurance settlements.
- Approved an additional appropriation of $25,000 received from The Lester Group for
sponsorship in the S.E.E.D. program. - Approved an additional appropriation of $4.7 million from the 1% Sales Tax fund for new
construction and renovations at Laurel Park Middle School and Bassett High School. - Denied a request to rezone approximately 22-acres in the Iriswood District from Suburban
Residential District (S-R) to Agricultural District (A-1). - Approved a request to rezone approximately 3.8-acres in the Iriswood District from Suburban
Residential (S-R) to Commercial District (B-1). The applicant intends to market the property,
and an adjoining commercial property, for proposed business purposes. - Approved a request to rezone approximately 0.6-acres in the Blackberry District from
Commercial District (B-1) to Limited Industrial District (I-2). The applicant intends to use the
existing garage building as a beverage mixing and bottling company. - Approved a siting agreement with Sunny Rock Solar, LLC.
- Granted county employees a day off on March 29, 2024, in observance of Good Friday.
- Reappointed Len Dillon and Steve Isley to the Industrial Development Authority for four-year
terms scheduled to expire on March 31, 2028. - Reappointed Paul Setliff, Richard Reynolds, and Jeff Prillaman to the Planning Commission for
four-year terms scheduled to expire on March 31, 2028. - Appointed Stuart Bowman to the Planning Commission on an unexpired term scheduled to
expire on March 31, 2025. - Appointed Brenda Metz to the Southern Area Agency on Aging Board on an unexpired term
scheduled to expire on Nov. 1, 2024.
