In a move reminiscent of the Nobel Committee giving its Peace Prize to a President who, at the time, presided over two wars, the Brattleboro Retreat has given its annual humanitarian award to Governor Shumlin — the man who made the Retreat the southern linchpin of his decentralized mental health inpatient system, and who, ever since, has nervously watched the Retreat’s efforts to live up to its commitment.

The Anna Marsh Lane Award, sez the Retreat, recognizes “individuals for their advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness and addiction.” Shumlin took home the award at a gala fundraiser (for the Retreat) on Saturday night.

I call it backscratching, or logrolling if you prefer, since the Gov and the Retreat have been in bed together since Tropical Storm Irene flooded out the old State Hospital. Shumlin vowed never to reopen the old facility, and laid out a plan for a radically decentralized, community-based mental health system.

(Since then, of course, he’s had to compromise his Grand Vision in two ways: he’s boosted the number of inpatient beds statewide and especially at the new State Hospital in Berlin, and he’s had trouble shaking loose the funding for the robust outpatient support that might help keep people from needing hospitalization.)  

The Retreat happily signed on to the effort, and took home a heapin’ helpin’ of post-Irene reconstruction dollars. Which gave a welcome boost to the old bottom line, but also made the Retreat’s job significantly tougher. It’s had trouble hewing to the high standards required for inpatient care of the severely mentally ill. It’s had a couple of close shaves with losing its federal certification, and there’s still uncertainty over whether it will be able to fulfill its commitments.

Giving the award to Shumlin is, like Obama’s Nobel, premature at best, ironic at worst. It’s still unclear if his revised vision will work: we’ve lived through two-plus years (and counting) of a chronic bed shortage for patients who would have gone to the State Hospital in the past, and it’s unclear whether the new system, once it’s fully up and running, will be able to accommodate the demand. Those who work in the system are basically crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.

If I were giving the Marsh Award, I’d give it collectively to everyone who’s been struggling to maintain quality of care in a horribly under-resourced situation — doctors, nurses, aides, administrators, etc. But hey, that wouldn’t have made for a nice splashy fundraiser. And it wouldn’t have allowed the Retreat to scratch the back of its most powerful supporter.