We Renew Our Commitment to Learn From a Terrible Day

Op-Ed

We Renew Our Commitment To Learn From A Terrible Day

By Governor Timothy M. Kaine

So many powerful emotions were unleashed by the terrible shooting at Virginia Tech last April. The entire world felt the loss of the faculty and students who were killed that day. We were all saddened by the grieving families and haunted by difficult questions beginning, "What if . . . ?"

We wondered whether life on a college campus would ever be the same.

But, watching the Virginia Tech community pull together in the hours and days following the tragedy, we also felt a measure of hope. We were inspired by the unshakeable sense of unity, even in a dark time. The Tech community's focus on supporting one another and being loyal to a great school was truly inspirational, and it guided our next steps, reminding us to look ahead to what needed to be done to ensure that the loss of that day was not completely in vain.

The grief of that terrible day has stayed with us throughout the year, and as we mark the anniversary of the shootings, we take the time to remember the victims and families, to grieve their losses, and to honor their lives. We rejoice in the recovery of those who were injured. We pray for the comfort of those who lost loved ones. And we renew our commitment to do even more to learn lessons from that day and use our knowledge to make our campuses and communities safer.

In the days and weeks immediately following the shootings, we began to ask ourselves, in both formal and informal ways, what went wrong and what we could have done better. I convened the Virginia Tech Review Panel to study the incident in detail and make recommendations for change. This panel, together with legislative committees and the Virginia Supreme Court chief justice's Mental Health Reform Commission, did notable work to help us find ways to improve as a commonwealth.

In addition to ensuring that guns stay out of the hands of people who have been adjudicated mentally ill and dangerous -- a step we took immediately following the shootings -- we have taken important steps to strengthen our mental health system and to improve security and emergency response on campuses.

In the budget for the upcoming biennium, we have increased our investment in the mental health system by nearly $42 million. These funds will go to expand quality community treatment for those suffering from mental illness, with a special focus on the needs of adolescents. I have also signed into law measures that will increase accountability in our mental health system, giving mental health professionals adequate time to make important evaluations in emergency situations, as well as ensuring that there is adequate follow-up when treatment is mandated. The legislature also worked to adjust standards for civil commitment and provide the tools to insist that quality of care be uniform throughout the commonwealth.

Our colleges and universities have taken steps to improve security and communications on campus. Many schools have established internal threat-assessment teams and strengthened relationships with local law-enforcement agencies, mental health organizations, and victim-assistance groups in their communities. They have also developed ways of communicating with students, faculty, and staff, and reviewed and updated emergency management plans. And members of my staff are planning a conference for later this year so that our colleges and universities can learn more about privacy laws and what they can and can't share about students to keep our youngsters safe.

These accomplishments are significant and the General Assembly deserves huge credit for supporting comprehensive reforms in a tough budget year. The persistent advocacy by the victims and their families was enormously helpful in this regard.

But we still have work to do. The increased investment in and reform of the mental health care system was an excellent starting point, but our commitment to adequately funding the system must extend beyond this budget and beyond my administration. And we must continue to work closely with our colleges and universities to ensure that they have the tools they need to safeguard our children. A continued commitment to improvement is the best tribute we can pay to those who lost so much.

As I think about the victims' families, whom I have come to know over the past year, I am at a loss for words to express what is in my heart. The courage and strength they have shown in the face of such tremendous, tragic loss is awe-inspiring. As we commemorate this anniversary, we should hold them and the entire Virginia Tech community in our thoughts and prayers.

Source