SUFFOLK, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin paid a visit to Hampton Roads Thursday, promoting 31 bills recently signed into law, all with the goal of improving mental health care.
He touted the 31 bipartisan bills during a ceremony at the Western Tidewater Community Services Board facility in Suffolk. Among them is the newly-signed “Irvo’s Law,” named after Irvo Otieno, 28, who died in custody last March after a mental health crisis.
Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko joined the ceremony Thursday, saying Gov. Youngkin “kept his promise” in establishing legislation after her son’s death. Senate Bill 546 passed through the general assembly unanimously. It allows family members to be with their loved ones under an emergency custody order during a mental health crisis unless the patient objects or the family member’s presence would pose a safety risk.
Ouko describes her son as a “loving young man.” She added, “he was outgoing, he was adventurous. He was prolific.”
Ouko told attendees Thursday to know their rights and make use of Irvo’s Law. She said, “if you go to the hospital and someone tries to tell you, ‘oh he’s agitated, oh you can’t go back there and see him,’ please raise your voice and say ‘Irvo’s Law.’” She later told 13News Now, “this bill is going to save lives. I think that would make him happy.”
Ouko sat next to Gov. Youngkin and the First Lady Thursday, celebrating the passage of Irvo’s Law and 30 others related to mental health, under the “Right Help Right Now” program.
Gov. Youngkin explained, “‘Right Help Right Now’ is not a bill, it’s not a single initiative. It’s a comprehensive transformation of our behavioral health system.”
Other bill passages celebrated Thursday included Senate Bill 403 which establishes behavioral health technicians as professionals supervised by the Board of Counseling. “We need more hands and feet,” said the Governor. “And this means more hands and feet.”
House Bill 823 and Senate Bill 497 together aim to alleviate stress on law enforcement, often required to transport mental health patients under temporary detention orders. The Governor said about the pairing, “we want to further decriminalize someone’s moment where they are having a mental health crisis.”
Finally, Youngkin applauded Caroline Ouko’s work, saying allowing family members in the room with those in crisis will make a difference.
“The work I’ve seen Caroline do in order to stand up, to advocate, to vocalize will in fact save lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ouko says she’s relishing in the fact that her son would be proud of the work she’s done, saying, “I know he’s smiling down on us.”