In a letter to the Washington Post, Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large) rightly points out the lack of funding and coverage of mental health programs:
The May 7 front-page article "Cho Didn't Get Court-Ordered Treatment," about the failure of Virginia's mental health system to get treatment to Virginia Tech shooter Seung Hui Cho, missed an important point. It is one thing for judges to order that individuals get help, but if there aren't comprehensive, fully funded and effective treatment programs in place, such directives are merely good intentions with no place to land.
It is not the fault of judges or of families of the mentally ill when society's goals are thwarted by the system's shortcomings. It is the responsibility of political leaders to ensure that treatment programs are in place. As a clinical social worker, I agonized with families about the emotionally and financially draining path to recovery, a road that is full of obstacles and setbacks. As a government official, I'm dedicated to public services that provide families with the resources they need to help loved ones.
The Virginia Tech tragedy can help us to understand that in cases like this we must not blame the victim, the courts or law enforcement.
