This Petition is being created to bring to the attention of law makers in the state of Virginia that the mental health system is broken and needs to be fixed. Below is just one part of my personal story. There have been many other challenges. The biggest challenge has been trying to get my son accepted into a long term facility. I feel it's easier to get into an ivy league school than to receive help for my child. 

I have a 15 year old son who is autistic and has been to the Virginia Acute Mental Hospital several times. He has been in two different Residential Facilities. In February 6th of 2022 he came back home after a 9 month stay in a residential facility. In March 23rd he attacked his mom and grandmother and got a hold of a knife and attempted to stab his mom. After this incident he was sent to the acute hospital after staying in the ER without treatment for 11 days. His mother was forced to wait in the ER room with him after the TDO expired. He came home from Acute hospital April 12th. On May 25th, he got a hold of a pair of scissors and threatened to kill the entire family. He was sent to the ER and placed under TDO, the TDO expired after 144 hours in the ER. I was able to get him into the acute hospital under a parental placement. The magistrate denied a request to extend the TDO stating the only allows for only 1 TDO per incident even if the person doesn't receive treatment.