October 7, 2025,

Collection: Hearing Records
Sub-shelf: Culture, Youth, Aging and Parks
Kind: Hearing Record
Entity: Legislature of the Virgin Islands
Date: 2025
Type: Invitation Letters
Topics: Disaster Recovery
Pages: 1
Text: Native Text

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Original source: https://legvi.org/committeemeetings/Culture,%20Youth,%20Aging%20and%20Parks/October%2031,%202025/Invitation%20Letters/Director%20Taylor%20Invitation%20to%20Testify%20%E2%80%93%20Legislative%20Hearing%20on%20Youth%20Mental%20Health%20and%20Public%20Safety.pdf

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October 7, 2025, Program Director Marsha Taylor The Village – VI Partners in Recovery #1 Estate Sion Hill Christiansted, St. Croix, VI 00820 Re: Invitation to Testify – Legislative Hearing on Youth Mental Health and Public Safety Dear Director Taylor, I hope this letter finds you well. As Chair of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks, I am pleased to invite The Village – VI Partners in Recovery to testify at our legislative hearing on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 10:00 AM, at the Fritz E. Lawaetz Legislative Chamber on St. Croix. You are requested to present during BLOCK I, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, which focuses on youth violence and the availability of behavioral health supports. Given The Village’s role in the Territory as a provider of mental health, substance use, outpatient, and prevention services across youth and adult populations we respectfully ask that your testimony include: • Programs currently offered to youth or adolescents (prevention, outpatient, counseling), including substance use or co-occurring disorder services. • How your services integrate mental health, trauma care, and behavioral health best practices. • The geographic reach and accessibility of your services across islands. • Challenges you face in scaling youth-focused services (staffing, funding, facilities, referrals); • Opportunities for better coordination with schools, health, justice, and community organizations to support youth resilience and interruption of harm. If you are unable to attend, please designate someone familiar with your youth and behavioral health work to testify in your place. Written testimony should be submitted not later than 48 hours before the hearing. Your service in the mental health and recovery arena is critical to our collective effort to heal and protect young people in our Territory. Thank you for your commitment. If you need further assistance or coordination, please let my office know. Respectfully, The Honorable Angel Bolques, Jr. Chair, Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, and Parks Senator At Large, 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Legislature of the Virgin Islands P.O. BOX 1690 ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 00802 (340) 693-3571 CHAIRMAN Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports & Parks VICE-CHAIRMAN Committee on Economic Development & Agriculture MEMBER Committee of the Whole Committee on Rules & Judiciary Committee on Homeland Security, Justice & Public Safety Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure & Planning Sub-Committee on Energy & Infrastructure Development The Honorable Angel Bolques, Jr. Senator-At-Large 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands