May 20, 2008

Fredericksburg, Virginia – The Sunshine Lady Foundation Inc. has pledged $2 million to the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) to fund two residential facilities for adults with mental illness.

The donation will allow RACSB to build The Sunshine Lady House for Mental Health Wellness & Recovery, a 5,900-square-foot, 12-bed community based residential facility at 615 and 617 Wolfe St. RACSB has a ratified contract to purchase the property, which is adjacent to its administrative building and Fredericksburg Clinic on Jackson Street. The two-story building will replace a 6-bed residential crisis stabilization facility operated by RACSB on Princess Anne Street, which does not contain adequate space to meet the demand for services. 

“The Rappahannock Area Community Services Board is taking steps to expand the number of residential crisis stabilization beds available in our community to help persons with mental illness avoid unnecessary placement in a state or local psychiatric hospital. The new building will allow RACSB to stay on the cutting edge of service delivery by providing services in a new state of the art community residential setting that offers 24-hour supervised care and treatment,” said Crisis Stabilization Coordinator John Butler.

The purpose of the RACSB Crisis Stabilization program is to provide direct care and treatment to individuals experiencing an acute crisis related to mental illness that may jeopardize their current community living situation. The goals of the program are to avert psychiatric hospitalization or re-hospitalization; provide a normative environment with a high assurance of safety and security for crisis intervention; stabilize individuals in crisis; and mobilize the resources of the community support system, family members and others for ongoing rehabilitation and recovery.

RACSB also will use the donation to renovate an existing building currently owned by the agency at 818 Lafayette Boulevard for use as an eight-bed long-term group home for adults with serious mental illness. The home will provide 24-hour supervision for individuals who require training and assistance in basic daily living functions such as meal preparation, personal hygiene, transportation and budgeting.

The Sunshine Lady Foundation, founded and operated by Doris Buffett, is dedicated to breaking the cycles of poverty, abuse and economic dependence through investment in education. The foundation also focuses on fostering the growth of philanthropy through the educational system by teaching students about modern, socially responsible philanthropy.

“Recently, I learned that Planning District 16, with a population of over 300,000, has only 34 beds available for the care of people with mental illness,” Buffett said. “It is obvious that this is a woefully inadequate response to their plight. I’m very happy to be able to join with RACSB to alleviate this situation, at least in part.”

Founded in 1970, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) provides mental health, mental retardation, substance abuse, and prevention/early intervention services to the residents of the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. RACSB operates six outpatient clinics which provide individual, group and family therapy; specialized counseling and case management services; psychological assessment; 24-hour crisis intervention; and medication management services. RACSB operates eight mental retardation group homes providing 24-hour intensive and structured support. Also, RACSB offers mental health day support, residential services, and residential crisis stabilization. The Parent-Education – Infant Development Program provides physical, occupational, and speech therapies as well as special education and service coordination to infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Programs of RACSB include Rappahannock Adult Activities, Inc., Project LINK, Program for Teen Parents, Rappahannock Area Kids on the Block, DARE To Be You, and Healthy Families – Rappahannock Area. To learn more, visit www.racsb.state.va.us.

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