Virgil Green is the chief of the Mental Health and Welfare Division in the city’s Community Services Department.
HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN CHIEF?
Since 1974.
WHAT DOES THE DIVISION DO?
“It provides contractual services in the mental health and drug abuse areas with a budget of $22 million. I am responsible for nine different programs, the largest of which is emergency financial assistance.”
WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY?
“Last year we provided assistance to 14,696 persons to prevent evictions, avoid interruptions of utilities and help if there’s no food in the house.”
TO THE RESCUE
Another program the division offers is family support for up to six months. The main objective of all of the division’s programs is to prevent homelessness. “We help them get into public housing, get food stamps and coordinate job training. We’ve found they [the clients] have multiple problems. Last year we helped stabilize over 130 families.”
WHERE’S THE OFFICE?
“We have a cadre of eight social workers in Gateway Mall that see people by appointment. We located there because in doing a zip code study, over 52 percent of the people we see come from zip codes 32206, 08 and 09. Gateway sits in the middle, plus it has a tremendous transportation hub.”
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
“We verify their income, verify the number of dependents and try to verify the actual problem. Was it a sick child that got you in this circumstance or did you go to Disneyland?”
AN UPHILL BATTLE
“If you take the number of people we’ve served and multiply it by three, that is how many who can’t get in, the unmet need. I’m seeing more and more in crisis, particularly since welfare reform has become entrenched. People are coming off public assistance because of time limits and are often placed in minimum wage jobs with no benefits. It has become a real concern. Demand [for their services] in the last four months has increased by 50 percent and expenditures have jumped to 77 percent. This fiscal year is going to be tough.”
SHOW ME THE MONEY
“The main issue I am working on with City Council is that this county is the lowest paid from the State for mental health, but the amount Jacksonville puts in is the highest [for a city] in the state. It’s great that the City is stepping forward to assume these expenditures but City Council is trying to work with the legislature to get our equitable share.”
HOW DOES CRIME PAY?
A poor individual who has stayed on the right side of the law faces a dilemma: over 100 people are waiting for the same drugs he needs to stabilize his mental illness. If a person was convicted of illegal drug violations, he would be sentenced to a recovery program, which allows for after care for up to a year following his release. “The drug dependents that go through the criminal system receive more support due to the strong after care program. I think for people in the public sector there’s a need for more services in terms of follow-up and after care.”
HOMETOWN
Jacksonville.
EDUCATION
Florida State University is where Green obtained his bachelor’s degree in sociology and two master’s degree: one in theology and the other in education with a specialization in rehabilitative counseling. He then spent three years pursuing divinity at Wake Forest Seminary.
MAN OF THE CLOTH
His interest in working with the mentally ill started when he interned as a chaplain at a psychiatric hospital in North Carolina. Before that, he was a preacher at Belhaven Baptist Church until he relocated to Jacksonville to work as a social worker. After eight years in vocational rehab, he joined the City.
WHY LEAVE THE MINISTRY?
“From a spiritual view, I was too liberal for the Baptist faith. I felt the need to work more directly with people. Dealing with human suffering as a minister sometimes left a void I couldn’t fill or understand. My training was more in self-actualization.”
SO YOU CAN HELP MORE PEOPLE THIS WAY?
“From the standpoint of working with people from a therapeutic point of view. I don’t have as much contact as I did as a counselor but being able to plan and direct programs that affect people’s lives and help them to change if they so desire is rewarding.”
WHAT’S MOST CHALLENGING?
“Trying to bring together meaningful and relevant services in light of limited resources. And sometimes dealing with the political atmosphere of the helping profession.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Green’s wife Jeannette is a case manager with the Department of Children and Families. They live in Arlington. Their daughter Kim is the assistant athletic director for women at the University of North Carolina. Their son Rusty, a former JU baseball coach, is a financial planner with John Hancock.
OUTSIDE THE OFFICE
Green coaches a little league team in the Lake Lucina area. He enjoys golf, exercising and participating in the Florida Association of County Executives. When lounging at home, Green tunes into sports or replays of the film “Hoosiers.” If he’s out on the town, he prefers to dine at Angelo’s Italian Restaurant. Summer family vacations are also a must.
WHO’S YOUR HERO?
“Lex Hester. He was the chief administration officer in 1974 when I came on with the City. Lex was a man of strong principal who understood public government probably better than anyone I’ve met.”
— by Monica Chamness