The Virginia Telemental Health Initiative is up and running as Virginia’s first statewide, free virtual mental health clinic after successfully completing a pilot phase.
The nonprofit initiative offers free tele-mental health services to eligible uninsured or under-insured Virginians, according to a news release.
The initiative’s model expands access to mental health services and aims to bolster the mental health workforce by matching volunteer pre-licensed mental health providers in the process of completing licensure with eligible patients who are referred by participating free and charitable clinics.
The pilot originally launched in December 2022.
This year, the Culmore Clinic (6165 Leesburg Pike) in Lake Barcroft will be one of 12 new referring clinics.
“[Our partners] helped to build an innovative structure that is putting mental health services within the reach of Virginians who otherwise could not afford or access it,” Mara Servaites, executive director of Virginia Telemental Health Initiative, said in the release.
Servaites continued, “It’s the first model we know of in the U.S. with a dual mission of providing free mental health services to medically underserved populations virtually while also supporting the next generation of mental health providers with the licensure process so they can enter the workforce faster.”
Since its inception, the program has scheduled nearly 2,000 telemental health sessions with an average of 11 days between referral and a patient’s first appointment, the release said.
There were 43 volunteer pre-licensed mental health professionals supported by six clinical supervisors to provide pro bono services to patients across 10 participating free and charitable clinics during the inaugural year.
This year, the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative will invite 30 new clinics to join the program and will collaborate with an additional 75 volunteer mental health professionals. The 12 newest clinics are:
- ADAMS Compassionate Healthcare Network (Chantilly)
- Augusta Regional Dental Clinic
- Blue Ridge Free Clinic (Harrisonburg)
- Culmore Clinic (Falls Church)
- Free Clinic of Culpeper
- Free Clinic of Powhatan
- Goochland Cares
- Greene Care Clinic (Stanardsville)
- Guadalupe Free Clinic (Colonial Beach)
- Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic (Woodbridge)
- Ohlen R. Wilson (Galax)
- Sinclair Health Clinic (Winchester)
Interested patients can contact free and charitable clinics directly to determine their eligibility and make appointments. For more information, visit virginiatelementalhealth.org/accesscare/.
Image via Virginia Telemental Health Initiative/Facebook. This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
