A bill calling for a major reorganization of Vermont’s mental health system is headed to the desk of Gov. Peter Shumlin.
The House on Tuesday approved a conference committee report previously approved by the Senate that sets out a path for replacing the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury, which was closed after flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
The bill calls for building a new psychiatric hospital with up to 25 beds, most likely in Berlin; expanded secure psychiatric units in Brattleboro and Rutland; and increasing the use of less secure placements for patients deemed well served by them.
Shumlin has said he supports the legislation.