WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The murders of filmmaker# Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner,## allegedly by their son Nick, have renewed# difficult conversations across the country## for other families who are struggling# with mental illness and addiction.

Nick Reiner had many well publicized struggles# over the years, serious health crises, repeated## treatments for substance use, and recent reports# suggested he was being treated for schizophrenia.## We still don't know what happened with# the Reiners, but we do know mental illness## and addiction can be profoundly difficult# challenges, even for families with means.

So we turn to someone who has traveled# that difficult path within his own family,## Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds.# In 2013, his 24-year-old son, Gus,## who'd struggled with bipolar disorder for years,# attacked his father, before taking his own life.

Senator, thank you so much# for being here and talking## with us about this very, very difficult topic.

We should say at the outset --# I know you know this -- that## people struggling with mental illness# are not inherently violent.

They're## much more likely to be the victims of# violence than the perpetrators of it.

But, still, when#you first heard what's alleged to have happened with the Reiner# family, what was your reaction?

STATE SEN.

CREIGH DEEDS: Well, just heartbreak# for the family, heartbreak that these beautiful## people were lost, and heartbreak that they# couldn't get the help they needed for their son.

I mean, mental health is so misunderstood, and we# built up this wall of stigma around it for years## and really prevented, put up roadblocks# in the way of people trying to get help.## So I also thought about the struggle# of trying to care for an adult child.

You know, even -- just because a# child turns 18 doesn't make them## less of a child.

But there's a huge# challenge to try to get services.

You## can lead a horse to water.

You can't make# them drink, as an old saying, I guess,## and the same thing is true when you're trying# to get services for somebody you care about.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I want to ask you# a little bit more about that.

Again,## we don't know the full extent of what happened# with Nick Reiner.

But we also know that mental## illness and substance abuse often go hand in hand.

Can you just tell us a little bit more about the## struggles that you had trying# to get care for your son, Gus?

STATE SEN.

CREIGH DEEDS: Well, that was# a long time ago now, but the reality is## that a lot of people don't understand that# they are ill.

They won't accept the fact## that they are ill.

And they don't want --# there are things they don't want to do.

And as an adult child, you have# to either get them to be treated,## I guess to volunteer at some point, even when# it's involuntary, to try to get them to treatment,## or to get them to sign something that will give# you the authority to help them make decisions,## or you're going to have to# go to court and file suit.

It just -- there's one difficulty# after another one.

And with my son,## we just -- we struggled to get him to# acknowledge the problems and acknowledge## that he needed care.

And, in the end, he# was just ill and delusional and he would## not accept care.

He would not.

So it's not# a laughing matter at all.

It's very tough.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And you're saying that, once# a person turns 18, legally, for all sorts of## medical privacy and autonomy reasons, you as a# parent don't have autonomy over them anymore.

STATE SEN.

CREIGH DEEDS: That's# absolutely true.

I mean, in fact,## lots of cases, under federal law# and state law, once they turn 14,## they have a certain amount of independence.# They don't have to be treated, have to receive## the treatment you prescribe for them, you# think they need, that I think that they need.

I wanted my son to receive care.

I did# the best I could to get him to places## where he could receive that care.

And# he refused.

And that's often the case.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: After your family's tragedy,# you were part of a commission in Virginia to## look at the gaps in mental health care.

That# was over a decade ago.

What has happened in## your state?

What has happened nationally?

Are# we doing a better job now than we were then?

STATE SEN.

CREIGH DEEDS: We're doing# a better job, but the reality is,## we had -- had, we for so long neglected the# issue that we still have so much work to do.

When I was in the hospital for several days after## my son's situation, after he attacked me# and then he died -- I was in the hospital## and I was just scheming up.

I was in# the fortunate position of being in the## General Assembly.

So I was going to be able# to make some change or hope to make change.

I had lots of questions.

I had quite more# questions than answers.

We created this## commission to study mental health.

And out of that# group -- that met for about eight or nine years,## out of that group, the Virginia Behavioral# Health Commission, which is a permanent,## staffed commission that staff is doing research# on figuring out ways to address mental illness.

What we have done in Virginia is, we have# added several hundred million dollars a## year to our public mental health system,# because we have had to build out services.## We have taken the list of mandated# services from public health providers,## public mental health providers, our community# service boards in Virginia, from two to nine.

We are focused on keeping people out# of crisis.

We have done some things,## yes, and I'm proud of that work,# but we have still got a lot to do.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The Reiner family was# very public about their struggles.

They## even made a film that dramatized some# of Nick's experience.

You, as you said,## were in the legislature when this happened.

You# couldn't avoid talking about what had happened.

But a lot of families, as you mentioned,# feel an intense stigma and shame and## blame and struggle to talk openly# about what they're dealing with,## let alone get help.

How much of# an issue is that still today?

STATE SEN.

CREIGH DEEDS: It's a huge issue.# Here's the thing.

There are tragedies every day,## and nearly every family suffers# a tragedy of some kind.

They're## not all on the front page of the# newspaper.

In fact, few of them are.

So you have to have empathy for what# people are going through.

And I think## that you have to show kindness all# the time.

But the reality is that,## historically, we have had walled# stigma up around mental health.## We have made people be -- feel discouraged, feel# embarrassed about mental health, feel discouraged## from seeking treatment, feeling discouraged# from acknowledging that a problem exists.

And the stigma is still out there.

We are slowly# tearing down the walls.

We -- several years ago,## we put in Virginia in the health curriculum of# public -- our public schools some mental health## awareness, particularly in# eighth and ninth grades.## It's true that about 70 percent of# those people that have serious mental## illness first experience a crisis some# time between the ages of 14 or 24.

So you want to build up the knowledge of# mental health and the knowledge of warning## signs for people when they're# in that age group.

In Virginia,## what we have done is incorporate mental health# awareness into our health curriculum in the## public schools for eighth and ninth graders,# so that young people at the age when they might## begin experiencing some mental health crisis# can have some knowledge of what's going on.

Here's the problem.

The brain is part of the body.# Mental health care is health care.

People have to## acknowledge that.

They have to acknowledge that# it's all right to feel bad.

It's all right to## have these -- a mental illness.

It's just -- the# frustrating thing is that we have fund-raisers.

We focus on things like breast cancer or a whole# bunch of other illnesses, but, for mental health,## we use words like crazy.

And it begins by thinking# about the way we talk, thinking about the way we## talk.

We can tear down the walls of stigma# ourselves.

We just have to focus on trying## to make sure that people can get the treatment# they need and can get well in their communities.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That is Virginia# State Senator Creigh Deeds.

Senator, thank you so much for taking the# time.

Really appreciate your insights.

STATE SEN.

CREIGH DEEDS: Thank# you so much.

Yes, bye-bye.