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Human Rights Committees
The function of Human Rights Committees is to ensures due process for the individuals that are receiving or have recently received a service that is licensed, funded or operated by DBHDS. Local Human Rights Committees (LHRC) perform the following activities on behalf of individuals: Review restrictions implemented by providers that last longer than seven days or occur three or more times during a 30-day period; Review Next-Friend designations; Hold hearings when individuals disagree with a providers finding following a human rights complaint; Review behavioral treatment plans that involve the use of restraint or time-out and Receive, review, and act on applications for variances to the Human Rights Regulations. The State Human Rights Committee (SHRC) oversees the operation of the LHRCs. The SHRC also works with the State Human Rights Director to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the Office of Human Rights concerning the Human Rights Regulations and other laws, policies, or regulations that are needed to ensure the protection of individual’s rights. See 12VAC35-115-270.
Virginia Code § 37.2-204 regulates the appointment of state and local human rights committee members. One-third of the appointments must be individuals who are receiving or who have received services or family members of such individuals, with at least two individuals who are receiving or who have received public or private mental health, developmental, or substance use treatment or habilitation services within five years of the date of their initial appointment. In addition, at least one appointment must be a health care provider and remaining appointments must include other persons with interest, knowledge, or training in the mental health, developmental, or substance abuse services field.
No current employee of the Department, a community services board, a behavioral health authority, or any facility, program, or organization licensed or funded by DBHDS, or funded by a community services board or behavioral health authority shall serve as a member of any LHRC that serves an oversight function for the employing facility, program, or organization. And no current employee of DBHDS, a community services board, or a behavioral health authority shall serve as a member of the SHRC.
LHRCs consist of at least 5 volunteer members who serve in their respective regions and are appointed by the SHRC. The SHRC consists of 9 volunteer members from across the Commonwealth who represent their respective regions and are appointed by the DBHDS State Board. LHRCs meet at least once per quarter, while the SHRC meets 9 times a year.
Membership Information
Meeting Information
Dates are subject to change based on weather conditions, availability of an in-person quorum of committee members and appropriate and accessible meeting locations.
Anyone may view and listen to open portions of any a Local or State Human Rights Committee meeting via the Microsoft Teams Webinar link for each specific meeting. This information is available on the Commonwealth Calendar – Home (virginia.gov) You can use the following steps to search for LHRC and SHRC meeting information on the Commonwealth Calendar:
- Select the date range for a meeting you are interested in.
- Select the Category for an “Open Meeting”
- Select the Sponsor as “Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Department of”
- Enter a specific name of an LHRC, or simply “LHRC” or “SHRC” as a Keyword to assist in your search.
Public comments will be received by the LHRC during the public comment section noted on the meeting agenda. Any person seeking to make public comment to an LHRC may submit comments via email to the assigned advocate by 5pm on the day before the meeting. Any public comment received will be added to the minutes of that meeting. For questions about a specific LHRC, please contact the OHR Staff person listed for that specific LHRC. For general information about how to access an LHRC meeting in your Region/State Facility, please contact the corresponding Manager.
For Providers: To add items to a specific LHRC agenda, please contact the OHR Staff person listed for that specific LHRC. Please note that the agenda deadline is two weeks prior to the meeting date.
Public comments will be received by the SHRC during the public comment section noted on the meeting agenda. Any person seeking to make public comment to the SHRC may submit comments in writing prior to the meeting, via email to SHRC@dbhds.virginia.gov. Any public comments received by 5pm on the day before the meeting will be added to the minutes of that meeting. For general information about how to access an SHRC meeting, please contact the Human Rights Regional Manager in your area.
Meeting Minutes
2023 LHRC Minutes
- Charlottesville Area LHRC_1.12.23
- Health Planning Region 5 LHRC_2.15.23
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_2.22.23
- Northwestern Area LHRC_2.8.23
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_2.21.23
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_4.18.23
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_5.16.23
- Prince William County LHRC_2.1.23
- Prince William County LHRC_4.5.23
- Rappahannock-Rapidan Area LHRC_3.14.23
- Southeast Alliance LHRC_3.21.23
- Staunton Area LHRC_1.4.23
- Tri-City LHRC_3.2.23
2022 LHRC Minutes
- Charlottesville Area LHRC_1.20.22
- Charlottesville Area LHRC_4.21.22
- Charlottesville Area LHRC_7.21.22
- Charlottesville Area LHRC_10.20.22
- HPR5 LHRC_7.18.22
- Metropolitan LHRC_1.27.22
- Metropolitan LHRC_3.24.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_1.19.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_1.26.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_2.23.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC (Subcommittee)_4.27.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_5.25.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_6.23.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_7.27.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_9.28.22
- Northern Virginia Hospital LHRC_12.14.22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_1.18_22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_2.15.22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC (Subcommittee)_4.19.22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_5.16.22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_9.20.22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_10.18.22
- Northern Virginia Regional LHRC_11.29.22
- Northwestern Area LHRC_2.9.22
- Northwestern Area LHRC_4.18.22
- Northwestern Area LHRC_6.9.22
- Northwestern Area LHRC_8.10.22
- Northwestern Area LHRC_11.9.22
- Prince William County LHRC_2.2.22
- Prince William County LHRC_4.6.22
- Prince William County LHRC_6.1.22
- Prince William County LHRC_10.5.22
- Prince William County LHRC_12.7.22
- Rappahannock-Rapidan Area LHRC_3.1.22
- Rappahannock-Rapidan Area LHRC_6.7.22
- Rappahannock-Rapidan Area LHRC_9.6.22
- Rappahannock-Rapidan Area LHRC_12.6.22
- Staunton Area LHRC_1.19.22
- Staunton Area LHRC_4.6.22
- Staunton Area LHRC_7.7.22
- Staunton Area LHRC_10.5.22
- Southeast Alliance LHRC_11.15.22
- Southeastern Regional LHRC_12.7.22
- Virginia Highlands LHRC_2.15.22
- Virginia Highlands LHRC_5.10.22
- Virginia Highlands LHRC_6.21.22
- Virginia Highlands LHRC_8.9.22
- Williamsburg Regional LHRC_3.16.22
- Williamsburg Regional LHRC_6.15.22
- Williamsburg Regional LHRC_9.14.22
- Williamsburg Regional LHRC_12.14.22
Past LHRC Minutes
- 2022 LHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2021 LHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2020 LHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2019 LHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2018 LHRC Minutes [zip]
- Archive
2024 SHRC Minutes
Past SHRC Minutes
- 2023 SHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2022 SHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2021 SHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2020 SHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2019 SHRC Minutes [zip]
- 2018 SHRC Minutes [zip]
- Archive
Bylaws
PURSUIANT TO FOIA, IF YOU HAVE A REQUEST FOR LHRC OR SHRC DOCUMENTS, PLEASE EMAIL THE SHRC CHAIR: SHRC@DBHDS.VIRGINIA.GOV