The Sunshine Lady House for Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery will open tomorrow. The house is located at 615 Wolfe Street and has 12 beds available. SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

Home will welcome those in crisis

New psychiatric crisis center ready to welcome new patients

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

Date published: 11/8/2009

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

At first glance, the house appears unremarkable: just another beautiful and inviting Fredericksburg home.

The cheerful white rocking chairs and a state-of-the-art grill on the porches seem to beckon guests inside.

In fact, every detail of the house has been designed specifically to welcome visitors. Those guests should start filling the 10 bedrooms in little more than a week.

The Sunshine Lady House for Mental Health Wellness and Recovery is set to open Nov. 16. The area's new crisis stabilization center just held two open houses this week.

About 70 people attended Thursday night's celebration honoring Doris Buffett, the Fredericksburg philanthropist who paid for the house.

Buffett gave $2 million to the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board to expand its center for people in the middle of a psychiatric crisis.

The money will also provide long-term housing for adults with mental illness. Construction on that long-term housing is now under way on Lafayette Boulevard and will provide apartments for eight people with serious mental illnesses.

Thursday night, guests mingled over appetizers and desserts while touring the spacious, 12-bed crisis stabilization center. Soon, patients will walk through the doors to receive up to 15 days of treatment: 24-hour supervision, art therapy, group sessions, counseling and more.

Many parents of adults with mental illnesses choked back tears at the grand opening. The house represents a safe place where their children could recover from crises.

It also embodies a move toward public awareness, said David Vaughn, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness--Rappahannock.

Buffett contributed the money toward building the home, Geico furnished a therapy room and civic groups, business associations and other area residents chipped in to furnish the rest of the house.

For decades, the parents watched their children suffer in silence, wary of telling people about their mental illnesses. And the parents hid their own heartache.

But as Buffett took Virginia First Lady Anne Holton on a tour and crowds wandered in and out of the rooms, Vaughn said, "All of this, in time, will help reduce the stigma."

Buffett said she was long aware of the issues surrounding mental illness, as there was "a considerable amount" in her own family.

The crisis stabilization unit now on Princess Anne Street opened in January 2007 and has served more than 300 people. It helps those in the midst of a crisis who don't need a hospital and those transitioning from a hospital. The unit offers: 24-hour supervision Psychiatric assessment Treatment planning Referrals Counseling Medication evaluation, education and management Group therapy Art therapy Yoga Many businesses, civic groups and area residents have donated to furnish the new crisis stabilization center. But help is still needed. To sponsor a room or make a donation, contact Michelle Wagaman at 540/373-3223, ext. 3074, or mwagaman@racsb.state.va.us. The new crisis stabilization center draws together many groups: mental illness advocates, civic organizations, businesses and more. It also brings in law enforcement. The center has one room for individuals under Temporary Detention Orders, and will accommodate people the police need to order into services. Usually, the authorities must drop these people off at the hospital and wait for hours for the person to be processed. Now, they can drop them off at the center, where trained staff can take over, putting police back on the street more quickly. Thursday night, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board announced that a partnership with the Fredericksburg City Police Department will allow for off-duty officers to work eight-hour shifts at the center, providing security. Grant money will cover the costs. The RACSB also announced that the state had come through with more money for the program: $632,000 annually.

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Date published: 11/8/2009

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