Virginia mental health agency dropped from lawsuit over the suicide of a senator's son

[TexasTowelie]

WARM SPRINGS — Virginia Sen. Creigh Deeds has narrowed the scope of a lawsuit in which he blames a breakdown in the state’s mental health system for the suicide of his son.

At the request of Deed’s attorney, a judge in Bath County Circuit Court granted a non-suit Thursday that removes the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services from the $6 million wrongful death lawsuit.

Still remaining as defendants are the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board and one of its caseworkers — accused in the lawsuit of not working hard enough to place Deeds’ son in a psychiatric facility as his deteriorating mental health pushed him closer to a deadly end.

Unable to find an empty hospital bed for Austin “Gus” Deeds, the agency released him from emergency custody on Nov. 18, 2013. The troubled 24-year-old returned to his Millboro home, where the next morning he stabbed his father 13 times before shooting himself to death.

Read more: http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/va-mental-health-agency-dropped-from-lawsuit-over-the-suicide/article_17adcbfb-bcfe-5b7b-9c46-49679f4cb7b4.html

[hedda_foil]

1. This is the logical outcome of Reaganism and it happens all too often.

Being repeatedly stabbed by your desperately mentally ill son before he kills himself is something no one should have to bear..