Government
COVID-19 amplifies struggles with mental health, substance abuse – what Henrico County is doing about it
Since the pandemic started in mid-March, communities across the country have seen sharp increases in drug overdoses, suicides and requests for services. The trends have played out locally, with Henrico County already recording 41% more drug overdoses this year than in all of 2019.

The stresses and strains of the COVID-19 pandemic have been enough to test anyone’s well-being.
But the inescapable challenges – from social isolation and financial uncertainty to concerns about one’s health – can quickly overwhelm those struggling with substance use and mental health, said Leslie Stephen, a program manager with Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services (MH/DS).
“There have just been compounding issues,” she said. “When there are so many issues to deal with, a person’s capacity to take on more is reduced.”
Since the pandemic started in mid-March, communities across the country have seen sharp increases in drug overdoses, suicides and requests for services. The trends have played out locally, with Henrico County already recording 41% more drug overdoses this year than in all of 2019.
“These numbers understate the full problem because many overdoses are not reported,” County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said in a recent letter to the Board of Supervisors on plans to open a detoxification and recovery center. “In recent years, there have been more deaths in Henrico from overdoses than from car accidents, homicides or suicides – and this trend will be true again in 2020.”
Similarly, the number of individuals prescreened for hospitalization because of mental health concerns was up 13% from July through September compared with the same period last year.
In addition, orders to place someone in emergency custody rose by 15%. One of every five individuals held on temporary detention orders was later admitted to state facilities, instead of treated locally. That’s higher than normal, in part because fewer beds are available due to the pandemic’s need for physical distancing.
MH/DS bolsters mental health, substance use services during COVID-19
MH/DS, which serves Henrico, New Kent and Charles City counties, has been working to ensure its services remain available and accessible during the pandemic while the county also develops an enhanced treatment model for substance use.
Staff have been conducting appointments mainly by phone or video, although in-person meetings are available if necessary. For more information, go to henrico.us/mhds or bouncebackhc.com. To access services, call (804) 727-8515.
The challenges from COVID-19 have been particularly acute for those who rely on regular, face-to-face support from clinicians and peers. Now, many of those sessions are held virtually.
“You think about folks in recovery, it really is that interaction that makes a difference,” MH/DS Executive Director Laura Totty said. “It’s that daily support that they get. The isolation necessitated by COVID-19 has been a real challenge.”
For many, the pressures and strains will only intensify as the state has imposed tighter measures following a surge in coronavirus cases ahead of the holiday season, which is often a difficult time for those with mental health and substance use challenges.
“I worry that many people may struggle when they’re unable to engage in activities that have given them comfort and support in the past,” Stephen said.

virtual REVIVE! training session on the administration
of Narcan, a drug that can temporarily reverse the
toxic effects of opioids and save the life of someone
who has overdosed.
In September, the agency also began offering rapid access to medication-assisted treatment for individuals addicted to opioids. After their same-day access assessment, clients are connected with a prescriber for treatment with Suboxone, which curbs symptoms of withdrawal during detoxification.
MH/DS also is offering nine virtual trainings per week on REVIVE!, a free program on how to administer Narcan to save someone after an opioid overdose. Participants receive the medication by mail. To sign up, call (804) 727-8515.
To enhance its mental health services, MH/DS has partnered with the National Counseling Group to provide mobile support to individuals in crisis and avoid hospitalizations whenever possible.
Henrico advances new strategies to help those in recovery
Apart from its work in the pandemic, Henrico continues to look for new and better ways to help those struggling with substance use.
The county recently established a program to cover two weeks of housing costs for qualified individuals when they are admitted to a certified recovery home. So far, 13 recovery residences have applied for the program, which is known as CHIRP or Community-based Housing for Individuals in the Recovery Process.
“This gives the individual a chance to live in a safe, sober environment while they start to work on their recovery,” Totty said.
In addition, Henrico is advancing its plans to build a 24-hour detoxification and recovery center that would provide voluntary, medically supervised recovery services for adults.
The estimated 17,000-square-foot facility is planned on Nine Mile Road, near MH/DS’ East Center, and would have initially 12 to 16 beds. It would be licensed by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and managed by MH/DS with support from public and private partners.
The center was recommended by the Recovery Roundtable, a county work group that spent eight months looking at ways to reduce overdoses and strengthen recovery resources in the community.
“The Recovery Roundtable concluded the lack of access to detoxification is a significant gap and a barrier to recovery,” Vithoulkas said in his recent letter to the Board of Supervisors. “In fact, our jail has become the default provider of public detox in the County, having performed nearly 2,000 detoxes last year.”
Henrico has issued a request for proposals for consulting services as part of its planning for the detoxification and recovery facility. Funding for design and construction are expected to be considered as part of the county’s fiscal 2021-22 budget.
With the pandemic causing so much disruption, Stephen said it has been inspiring to see MH/DS staff confront each challenge and find innovative ways to provide the services the community desperately needs.
“It’s also amazing to see our clients so committed to working on their recovery,” she said. “Even with all that COVID-19 has thrown at them, they are determined to clear the hurdles that are in their way.”

Education
Henrico HS principal honored with REB Leadership Award; Colonial Trail ES principal is runner-up
Karin Castillo-Rose, principal of Henrico High School, has been awarded the 2022-23 REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership.

Karin Castillo-Rose, principal of Henrico High School, has been awarded the 2022-23 REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. The Community Foundation and the REB Foundation present the award to four principals annually — one each from the school divisions of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties and one from the city of Richmond. Castillo-Rose was surprised with the news Tuesday afternoon at a pep rally in the school’s gym, attended by her family and Henrico County Public Schools leaders.
Castillo-Rose will receive a $10,000 cash grant and an additional $20,000 for school projects. She plans to use the bulk of her funding for projects that support students’ mental, social and emotional well-being. The grant will fund student grief support groups; classes in social and emotional learning; a labyrinth garden and a “Warrior Farm” flower and vegetable garden, both to promote mindfulness; yoga classes; and outdoor recreation and socialization spaces.
Kevin Schatz, principal of Colonial Trail Elementary School, was runner-up for the award. He will receive a $10,000 grant to build a cricket practice facility accessible to students of varying abilities, including students who use wheelchairs. The facility at Colonial Trail will serve as the centerpiece of a new cricket league for students with disabilities. Cricket is a popular sport in the community served by the school.
The REB award recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their jobs to create an exceptional educational environment. The award stresses management and communication skills, and the ability to inspire, encourage and advocate for the school. Nominees must have served as principal at their school for at least three years.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Castillo-Rose told the crowd Tuesday. “Thank you to the students, because it is your student voice that pushes me every day to think outside the box. [Thank you] for advocating for yourselves. Thank you to the staff and sponsors who listen to the students and push me to push further, and for making sure that it is all about the students, all the time, every day. Behold the green and gold!”
Castillo-Rose has been principal at the school since 2015, after serving as assistant principal from 2012-15. Before that she was an administrative intern and teacher at Varina High School and a teacher with New York City Public Schools. She served in the U.S. Army before embarking on a career in public education. Originally from New York City, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, a master’s from Mercy College in New York and an education specialist degree from the University of Virginia. She is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech.
Schatz became principal of Colonial Trail in 2018. Before that he served as associate principal at Shady Grove, Charles Johnson and Nuckols Farm elementary schools. He began his career as a teacher at Nuckols Farm when the school opened in 1997. Schatz is originally from Denver and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.c
“This is a testament to the school, the school community and everybody involved,” Schatz said. “Everybody’s focus is on belonging, but more importantly, trying to find opportunities for those students and those families who are furthest from opportunity. That’s what we do every single day, and I’m so proud.”
Government
City hosting public meeting on replacement of Byrd Park Reservoir roof
The Byrd Park Reservoir was built in 1876 and has been serving the City of Richmond residents and surrounding counties continuously since then. The Reservoir operates as two finished water tanks. Upgrades and maintenance have occurred over the years to ensure peak operating capacity.

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities invites residents, commuters, and visitors who utilize areas around Byrd Park to attend a public meeting to learn more about the new phase of the Byrd Park Reservoir Roof Replacement Project. The meeting is from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, at the Byrd Park Roundhouse at 621 Westover Road.
The Byrd Park Reservoir was built in 1876 and has been serving the City of Richmond residents and surrounding counties continuously since then. The Reservoir operates as two finished water tanks. Upgrades and maintenance have occurred over the years to ensure peak operating capacity. DPU is in the process of additional upgrades to improve the distribution system reliability and increase the operational flexibility of facilities associated with the reservoir. The concrete roofs are reaching the end of their useful life and will be replaced by two new aluminum roofs.
Construction will be sequenced to maintain the use of the park and will take place within a fenced area, with boundaries shifting as the work progresses. Access to the rest of the park and its trails will be open to the public.
Attendees of the public meeting can expect to learn more about the scope and review project plans.
For more details about this project, visit the project page here.
Education
Spots still open in academic ‘pandemic recovery’ program ENGAGE Virginia
There are still some spots remaining in a new academic program that aims to support Virginia public school students after the impact of COVID-19 on education, although a majority have been filled.

By Chloe Hawkins
There are still some spots remaining in a new academic program that aims to support Virginia public school students after the impact of COVID-19 on education, although a majority have been filled.
The Virginia Department of Education and Graduation Alliance launched “ENGAGE Virginia” last month. ENGAGE Virginia will help students with learning and attendance issues after the effects of the pandemic, according to a VDOE press release. It will “supplement efforts already underway in schools to meet the needs of students still struggling with academic, attendance and mental health issues,” stated Jillian Balow in a press release. Balow was the state superintendent of Public Instruction but recently resigned.
The program is state-funded and free to the public, according to ENGAGE Virginia’s website. Families who sign up will be assigned an academic success coach, according to its website. The coaches will help students in ways like to focus on their schoolwork, create resumes and refer students to local social-emotional support nonprofits.
The VDOE Office of School Quality is in charge of overseeing ENGAGE Virginia, according to Aurelia Ortiz, director of School Quality. This office “helps schools with school improvement,” Ortiz said.
The General Assembly designated $3.5 million for academic assistance to the VDOE during the 2022 session, according to Ortiz. After the pandemic, the VDOE had many concerns around student displacement, Ortiz said.
“After the pandemic we knew that divisions had concerns, which we were aware of, with student engagement, with chronic absenteeism, students that had fallen off the roster, students that they could not locate,” Ortiz said. “Students can’t be successful if they aren’t in school.”
Forty-two school divisions reached out to ENGAGE Virginia to sign students up, while 30 school divisions officially partnered with ENGAGE Virginia, according to Ortiz. Over 11,000 program spots have been filled out of the allotted 15,000, Ortiz said.
These spots are “tentatively taken” by the school divisions, which means each division’s needs vary depending on its size, Ortiz said. Parents can also reach out to their child’s school to ask for academic help.
“As long as there are seats available — which as of right now you can see by the numbers there are seats available — then they [families] would be eligible for the program as well,” Ortiz said.
ENGAGE Virginia offers a human resource in schools where those resources are lacking, whether that be through a social worker or school counselor, according to Ortiz.
“A social worker would make a referral for community services, the counselor would offer mental health support, a teacher would provide homework assistance,” Ortiz said. “ENGAGE Virginia will do all of those things wrapped into one to meet the needs of the families.”
The impact of the program should be multilayered, through mental and academic support and the link to community resources, she said.
COVID-19 created the largest disruption of education systems in history, according to a United Nations policy brief released in August 2020.
Parent Courtney Dean’s family had a hard time adjusting to the pandemic, according to Dean. Dean’s two children, 11th grader Carter and eighth grader Stella, are enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools, according to Dean.
The pandemic was “challenging” for Dean’s children, she said. It was tough for them academically, but they also missed out on a lot of “lasts,” Dean said. Her two children’s fifth and eighth grade school years were cut short by the pandemic, and they missed out on end-of-year events.
“She [Stella] was doing fine as far as learning in the virtual world at first,” Dean said. “But she had a really hard time focusing and paying attention to virtual because it’s so much more interesting to look around your bedroom and, you know, mess with things … many times I would find her asleep because she could.”
Stella also had issues with her Spanish class once she transferred back to in-person classes, Dean said.
Stella advanced to the next level Spanish class, but is retaking it because she needed a better foundation, Dean said.
“She started that when she was virtual and then it went back to a hybrid thing where the teacher was trying to teach both the kids that were there in person, like my daughter, as well as the kids who were at home,” Dean said. “For my daughter, it just didn’t work … to no fault of the teacher; it was brand new for everybody and she was doing her best.”
Dean’s son, Carter, dealt with more of an “emotional struggle,” she said. He worked over 12 hours a day on homework, from 7 a.m. to midnight, once things went virtual, according to Dean.
“He got to the point where he was just so exhausted from it,” Dean said.
Dean was not aware of the ENGAGE Virginia relief program, but said it seems like it will be “so helpful” for students who had a hard time adjusting to virtual or hybrid learning environments.
“You can’t stop the flow of learning for everybody,” Dean said, but some students might need more help outside of the class.
Parents can start the registration process through ENGAGE Virginia, here.