Gov. Shumlin, lawmakers and others celebrate ground breaking cutting on new state mental hospital

Berlin, Vermont - Gov. Shumlin was joined by mental health advocates, Administration officials, lawmakers and others today for a ground breaking to launch construction of a new state psychiatric hospital in Berlin to provide up to 25 secure beds. The facility is part of a robust system created after the aging Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury was destroyed in Tropical Storm Irene.

“This is a huge victory for Vermont taxpayers because  starting 10 years ago we lost $10 million a year in federal funding because of the decrepit condition of the Vermont State Hospital,” Gov. Shumlin said. The new facility will enable the state to become eligible for that assistance, adding that because of that funding, “The state portion of this investment will be paid for in less than two years.”

In addition, nearly $30 million of the $42.8 million price tag of the mental health requirements left in the wake of the August 2011 storm will be eligible for financial assistance from a combination of insurance or federal