Point 7: Restoring Dignity—Transforming Mental Healthcare in the Virgin Islands
For far too long, behavioral health across our territory has been underfunded, understaffed, and overlooked. Vulnerable Virgin Islanders face an unfair, heartbreaking cycle: ending up trapped in correctional facilities or sent thousands of miles away from family to mainland institutions.
Mental illness is a healthcare priority, not a law-enforcement burden. The Donastorg / Nelson Platform is committed to bringing our people compassionate, dignified care right here at home.
The Core Pillar: A State-of-the-Art Transitional Facility
We will establish dedicated transitional behavioral health facilities serving both the St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix districts to bridge the gap between crisis and community living:
Step-Down Inpatient Care: Safe residential care after hospital crisis units or correctional release.
Reintegration Services: Life-skills training, vocational support, and stable housing assistance.
Dual-Diagnosis Recovery: Holistic addiction treatment paired with mental health therapy.
Our 4-Point Action Plan for Real Reform
- Modern Infrastructure: Leverage federal grants, capital funds, and public-private partnerships to build modern centers and repurpose underutilized government properties.
- Workforce Pipelines: Recruit and retain top psychiatric specialists using loan forgiveness and housing stipends, while partnering with UVI to train local talent.
- Decriminalization & Reform: Divert non-violent individuals away from prisons into mental health courts and modernize territorial health codes.
- Community Support: Deploy mobile crisis teams with first responders and integrate proactive mental wellness screenings in our schools and clinics.
"A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable." Together, let’s heal families, restore hope, and build a safer Virgin Islands.
Fast, Forward, Together.
Do it, and Done,…Vote #1
