Coronavirus Casualty: Mental Health Treatment

June 12, 2020 Chris Tyree

Austin Sweigart, an event planner for the LGBTQ+ community who uses they and them pronouns, says that they had trouble getting mental health counseling and medical treatment during the pandemic. They are not alone. Public and private mental health c… — Austin Sweigart, an event planner for the LGBTQ+ community who uses they and them pronouns, says that they had trouble getting mental health counseling and medical treatment during the pandemic. They are not alone. Public and private mental health care providers in Virginia say they have been forced to change not only the ways they offer certain services to patients but also whether they offer them at all. Photographs by Christopher Tyree // VCIJ

Public and private mental health care providers in Virginia say they have been forced to change not only the ways they offer certain services to patients, but also whether they offer them at all. The virus has upended care across state facilities, which serve more than 200,000 Virginians every year

Richmond, Virginia’s public housing agency holds comment period on plans it already approved, holds hearing to empty room

February 11, 2020 Chris Tyree

Richmond, Virginia’s public housing agency is working to demolish public housing while excluding the public from any input in the process.

In response to a request through the state public records law to issue meeting schedule, the agency left out a critical meeting. In response to another request for public comments the agency received, the agency excluded comments that were especially damning.

Richmond, Virginia is awfully private about public housing

January 30, 2020 Chris Tyree

Ever get the feeling that your local government agency is hoping you just go away?

That certainly seems to be the case with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authorityin Virginia. Over the last six months, prying event basic information about plans to demolish its existing public housing in favor of an entirely voucher-based system has been an exercise in futility. By the time you get the document, you’re too late.

The agency began the year by quietly announcing its plans to demolish the very thing they’re supposed to provide - housing.