The Marcus-David Peters Act was signed into law in late 2020 and has become known as the Marcus Alert. This act is a comprehensive approach to ensuring that Virginia provides a health-focused and trauma-informed response to behavioral health emergencies. The law is named to honor Marcus-David Peters, a high school biology teacher who was killed by a police officer in Richmond while experiencing a behavioral health crisis in 2018.

Understanding the Marcus-David Peters Act

The act includes responsibilities for Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop a mental health awareness response for behavioral health crises through protocols that promote directing individuals in need to the behavioral health system and guiding law enforcement response around “co-response” with behavioral health professionals or other community care team models for crisis intervention.  

This legislation further requires localities to establish a voluntary database that is made available to 9-1-1 to provide mental health information and emergency contact information for use in emergency response situations by July 1, 2021. The Prince William County community already meets this requirement via the Rave911 Suite and SMART911 Program. 

Prince William County Community Services Wants Your Feedback

Prince William County Community Services is the first to implement the Marcus Alert System, in collaboration with law enforcement, communications and community stakeholders.

Community Services will establish a Missions Workgroup, as a part of the system implementation, to help them obtain community input to prioritize the needs of the County’s behavioral health crisis system. The workgroup will look at the County’s current behavioral health crisis system, envision where the community wants the system to go, assist Community Services in listening to and gathering input from the community, particularly those with lived experiences, and help Community Services use this feedback to identify what is missing and what is needed for a responsive, health-focused, trauma-informed behavioral health crisis system.

Individuals interested in participating in the Missions Workgroup can visit the application webpage to apply online by April 30. Submit questions about the workgroup to PWMarcusAlert@pwcgov.org.

In addition, Community Services will use the results of a public survey to gather community input around the County’s current behavioral health crisis system. This feedback will provide information that is vital to creating an equitable and inclusive system that is designed to meet the needs of residents. Complete the Marcus Alert Community Survey by May 28, 2021, to provide input. (En Espanol: Gran Comunidad de Prince William Encuesta – Marcus Alert)