From Washington times December 28:

A lack of understanding of the system's complexities and pitfalls has kept lawmakers from acting on it until now, said Delegate Phillip A. Hamilton, an authority on mental health legislation. But the shootings fast-tracked the issue to the top of the agenda, he said."

"If no Virginia Tech parent or victim even contacted us or came forward, I think you're going to see some significant changes," said Mr. Hamilton, Newport News Republican.

The families are not uniform in their beliefs, however. Holly Sherman, whose daughter Leslie was killed in the shootings, understands that it may be healing for some of the families to lobby for changes to gun and mental health laws. But to her, the effort is futile.

Mrs. Sherman hopes others will focus on what she feels are common-sense measures: running public service announcements to educate parents about potentially dangerous behavior in their children, ensuring schools properly handle troubled students and holding surprise emergency drills at schools.

Someone needs to inform Ms. Sherman that the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardations, and Substance Abuse is still completelyly ignoring people who are asking for help.

I have copies of emails in which help has been repeatedly requested from James Martinez, director of Mental Health in Virginia, but no help has been provided.

If you want to see the complete disorganized mess that mental health planning is in Virginia, look at their minutes on  http://www.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov/MHPC/Minutes.htm.

Jo-Amrah McElroy has something to do with it.  You can't figure out what from reading their pages. 

Minutes are missing, inconsitently documented, completely in violation of Virginia law.  No one cares.  No mystery why there is a lack of accountability in Virginia Mental Health Services.  It starts with gross disorganization at the top.

Parents of Virginia Tech victims need to understand that Jo-Amrah McElroy, James Martinez, and the rest of the crew in the Virginia Department of Mental Health have done nothing that would result in direct improvement of quality control or quality assurance at the New River Valley Communiy Services Board, which means people are no safer from attacks by people like Seung Hui Cho now than they were 8 months ago when the attack happened.