VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The VB Strong Center will offer its final day of services on Monday, lasting much longer than the U.S. Justice Department mandated.
"We opened VB Strong Center in a matter of weeks with Justice Department funding slated to last 27 months," said Bernie Boone, the president of Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. "We’ve kept it going for almost five years and we’re proud to have been part of the healing process."
The center formed as a partnership between Sentara Health and the City of Virginia Beach after 12 people were killed in a mass shooting in 2019 at the City of Virginia Beach Municipal Center.
It aimed to provide behavioral health support for those affected by the incident, providing free counseling as well as alternative therapies such as yoga, art, and meditation.
Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer said at the opening, "I have found the strength of Hampton Roads is in the people of our city. This is not a short-term solution, this is the beginning of a long road that we intend to be here for people that need it."
"It's been an honor and a privilege to support this program and this very important initiative," said Glinda O'Neill, a former leader of the center.
O'Neill said there are still mental health resources available that people can take advantage of after the center closes. There is the Sentara Behavioral Health Care Center still running at Landstown Commons, as well as a host of other mental health resources linked on Sentara's website.