Bill Text: VA HJR806 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Virginia House Joint Resolution 806 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Commending PRS.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-02-14 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ806ER) [HJR806 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2013-HJR806-Enrolled.html

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 806 Commending PRS.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 8, 2013 Agreed to by the Senate, February 14, 2013

WHEREAS, PRS, founded 50 years ago, provides skills training and support to individuals living with mental illness, substance abuse disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or any combination of these; and

WHEREAS, PRS offers services that meet community needs; the National Institute of Mental Health reports that about one in four adults in the United States "suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year" and "about 6 percent, or 1 in 17. . . suffer from a serious mental illness"; and

WHEREAS, PRS services repeatedly demonstrate effectiveness; in fiscal year 2012, 97 percent of persons served were not hospitalized, 66 percent of Employment Services clients actively seeking employment were employed (over twice the national average for these populations), 86 percent of those employed who were employed as of July 1, 2011, were employed for at least 12 months or more, and 99 percent of PRS Community Support Services clients maintained their homes and avoided eviction; and

WHEREAS, PRS was founded in 1963 by Vera Mellen in a church basement as a "social club" for community members with mental illness; and

WHEREAS, PRS now annually serves over 800 individuals living with mental illnesses, substance use disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorders), or any combination of these (co-occurring disorders); and

WHEREAS, over the past 50 years, PRS has helped thousands of clients rebuild their lives and become stable, productive members of their communities; and

WHEREAS, PRS is a leader and innovator in the "recovery" model of rehabilitation, tailoring services to each individual's unique abilities, preferences, and needs; it has been recognized locally and nationally; and

WHEREAS, PRS was designated for the second straight year in 2012 as one of NonProfit Times' Best Nonprofits to Work for in the United States, as its corporate culture, work environment, and other factors were evaluated against national cohorts; and

WHEREAS, in 2012 PRS also received the highest level of accreditation from CARF International, the internationally recognized Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; and

WHEREAS, in 2011 PRS received the Mental Health Consumer Award for Service Provider Excellence at Fairfax County's 12th Annual Mental Illness Awareness Conference; and

WHEREAS, PRS was also honored in 2011 with the Center for NonProfit Advancement's Gelman, Rosenberg, and Freedman EXCEL Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership among Washington-area nonprofit chief executives; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend PRS for 50 years of exemplary service; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to PRS as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and appreciation for the nonprofit organization's service to the community.