Skip to main content

James M. Martinez papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-2015-04

Scope and Contents

The James M. Martinez personal working files from his time as director of the Virginia Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services of Virginia. The papers are related to mental health issues in Virginia and the state's response to support behavioral health services. There are also papers from Martinez's work as advisor to the Commission on Mental Health Reform.

Researchers interested in these files should also see the Richard J. Bonnie papers on the Commission on Mental Health Law Reform.

Dates

  • Creation: 1978 - 2015

Creator

Biographical / Historical

Jim Martinez joined the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) in 1977 and managed the Department’s mental health, substance abuse, forensic, prevention, youth initiatives, and other programs. He was Director of the Office of Mental Health Services, and supervised various administrative, policy, and operational functions of Virginia’s public system of behavioral health services for adults. Throughout his tenure at DBHDS, Martinez focused on developing community services and supports for people with serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders and their families, and on shaping and implementing a person-centered, recovery-oriented behavioral health system for Virginia. Martinez served as an Advisor to the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Commission on Mental Health Law Reform (2006-2011), and has been a leader in Virginia’s efforts to improve the state’s involuntary treatment statutes and strengthen the safety net of behavioral health crisis response services in the Commonwealth. Martinez is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute, and holds a BA from Washington and Lee University, and a MEd from the University of Virginia.

Full Extent

6.5 Cubic Feet (17 archival boxes, and digital files.)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The collection was organized in two parts:

Boxes 1-13 pertained to Martinez's work on mental health issues in the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse.

Boxes 14-17 solely relate to the Virginia Commission on Mental Health Law Reform.

There are digital documents listed in the guide that complement the hardcopy files, and are available upon request.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated by James M. Martinez in September of 2015.

Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Arthur J. Morris Law Library
580 Massie Road
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22903 United States