VHCF Awards $3.4 Million in Grants

At its June 2024 Board meeting, VHCF Board of Trustees approved $3.4 million in grants to 23 Virginia organizations for increasing access to BH, medical and dental services for uninsured and medically-underserved Virginians.

Behavioral Health

• Bradley Free Clinic (Roanoke), $75,000 
• Bacon Street Youth and Family Services (Williamsburg area), $70,800 
• YWCA of Richmond, $41,850 
• ARROW Project (Staunton, Augusta, Waynesboro area), $28,125 

Dental

• Augusta Regional Dental Clinic, $176,250 
• New Horizons Healthcare (Roanoke), $75,000 
• Healing Hands Health Center (Bristol, Southwest Virginia), $67,500 
• Fauquier Free Clinic, $56,250 
• Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic, $52,875
• Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center (Abingdon), $43,373 
• Free Clinic of Powhatan, $38,714 

Medical

• Neighborhood Health (Alexandria), $75,000 
• Blue Ridge Medical Center (Appomattox), $63,281 

Medicaid/FAMIS Application Assistance

• Neighborhood Health (Alexandria, Arlington, southern Fairfax County), $180,688 
• Inova Partnership for Healthier Communities (Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties, City of Alexandria) $88,706 
• Norfolk Department of Public Health, $160,797 
• Virginia Legal Aid Society (Danville, Halifax), $150,061 
• Cumberland Plateau Health District (Southwest Virginia), $128,079 
• Connect Health + Wellness (Martinsville, Henry County), $65,700
• Bradley Free Clinic (Roanoke), $63,200 
• The Health Wagon (Southwest Virginia), $62,819 

Nurture Now: Helping Children Shine (NN)

Four 2-year NN grants will help address the crisis in children’s mental health by helping fund the creation of school-based health centers in multiple Virginia schools, starting with the 2024-2025 school year.

• Rockbridge Area Health Center, $340,000
• Patrick Henry Family Services (Appomattox County), $312,000
• Tri-Area Community Health (Carroll County), $297,395
• ChildSavers (Colonial Heights), $264,195

NN grants, and the Brighter Days Ahead initiative of which they are a part, are made possible by The Collis Warner Foundation; Humana; Sentara Healthcare; The Anne Mullen Orrell Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustees; Carilion Clinic; Dominion Energy, and The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.

2024 General Assembly Highlights

Both Houses of Virginia’s General Assembly, Governor Youngkin and both political parties prioritized BH throughout the 2024 General Assembly Session and the 2024 Special Session I.

Dozens of bills and budget amendments related to increasing access to critical health and BH services for Virginians were passed, to include adjustments to licensure regulations; investments in Virginia’s BH workforce; new and expanded public services for Virginians with BH conditions; youth mental health; and service expansion for those with substance use disorder (SUD), developmental (DD) or intellectual disabilities (ID).

Click here to obtain slides and handouts from the June 2024 Mental Health Roundtable, which highlighted these investments.

Youth Mental Health Corps in Virginia

Beginning in the Fall 2025, the Youth Mental Health Corps in Virginia (YMHC) will expand access to BH services for Virginia youth (ages 13-18) affected by mental health (MH) challenges, while building “service-to-career”, “stack-able credential” pathways for near-peers (ages 18-24) to start a career in behavioral health. 

Serve Virginia, part of the Virginia Department of Social Services, is looking for host sites to credential and place at least 75 Corps members. Details to be released in the coming months.

Virginia and 10 other states received funds for this exciting new initiative to address America’s youth MH crisis from AmeriCorps and its private partners, the Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest.

YMHC in Virginia members will:

• Be trained to become a School-Based Mental Health Navigator, Peer Recovery Specialist or Community Health Worker via a new school-based MH “stackable” certification pathway.
• Learn about working in the BH field via hands-on experience with teens affected by MH challenges
• Work with youth in schools, out-of-school time programs, and youth organizations in regions of the state with limited access to MH services
• Earn a modest living allowance, consistent with the AmeriCorps model. 

Each YMHC host site will engage 1-3 Corps members. Corps members may serve 100 to 1700 hours (full-time for a year), depending on the host site needs and program model.

For more information or to inquire about hosting Corps members, please fill out this form Analise from Serve Virginia will follow up with you. 

Earn up to $5,000/Semester to Precept Virginia Nursing Students

If you previously looked into Virginia’s Nursing Preceptor Incentive Program (NPIP) and weren’t sure it was for you, keep reading to learn about program changes effective in 2024!

Virginia-licensed physicians, physician assistants (PAs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) or registered nurses (RNs) providing clinical education for Virginia nursing students may be eligible for a financial incentive via the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Nurse Preceptor Incentive Program (NPIP).

• Eligible preceptors must provide at least 25 clinical education hours in a semester
• Incentive is available to those precepting RN and licensed practical nursing (LPN) students, as well as BSN and APRN students (new)
• Incentive amount varies by the number of clinical hours provided, up to $5,000 (maximum increased).
• Preference is given to those precepting nurses pursuing psychiatric training.

Preceptors may work in any type of practice (new), though priority is given to Preceptors working in a community mental health facility, critical access hospital, federally qualified health center, free/charitable clinic, long-term care facility, private practice, rural health clinic, health department, as well as those practicing in a site located in Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and/or serving Medically Underserved Populations (MUP).

Click here to learn more or apply.

Want to Become a Psych NP – or, Train or Hire One?

More than 60 Virginia localities have no Psych NP! To help address this problem, VHCF offers full-scholarships for NPs wishing to earn a post-Master’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Click here or email PsychNP@vhcf.org to learn more.

Interested in training a VHCF Psych NP Scholarship recipient? Psych NP Certificate students must complete at least 500 clinical hours as part of their advanced, post-graduate psychiatric-mental health program. Psych NP Certificate students, who are already NPs, may precept with psychiatrists, Psych NPs, LCSWs, LPCs or clinical psychologists. Eligible preceptors may apply for NPIP funds (see above).

Interested in hiring a VHCF Psych NP Scholarship recipient? Upon becoming licensed as a Psych NP, VHCF scholarship recipients must fulfill a 4,000-hour Service Commitment (equivalent of 2-years full-time), working as a Psych NP for an organization serving medically-underserved Virginians (uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare).

Please email Denise Daly Konrad (dkonrad@vhcf.org) if you are interested in precepting or hiring a VHCF Psych NP Scholarship recipient.

Help for Virginia’s Supervisees in Social Work and Residents in Counseling/Marriage and Family Therapy

Many Masters-prepared Social Workers, Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists want to become a licensed BH professional in Virginia, yet are not offered Supervision by their employer and can’t afford to pay for it out-of-pocket.

Boost 200+ pays for licensure-required Supervision for motivated Masters-prepared Social Workers, Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists. Applicants must be paying for all or most of their licensure-required Supervision hours. Once licensed, Boost 200+, participants must practice in Virginia for 4,000 hours (equivalent of 2-years, full-time).

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, until funding is obligated. Candidates are selected to ensure diversity and distribution across the Commonwealth.

Click here or email Boost@vhcf.org or learn more.

Pediatric Mental Health Training for Virginia PCPs (and Psych NPs)

Are you a Virginia PCP (physician, nurse practitioner (NP), PA) or Psych NP looking for professional clinical education in pediatric mental health? If you are, check out REACH PPP!

REACH PPP is a dynamic 3-day, 16-hour interactive course led by expert Virginia faculty and focused on building skills in diagnosing and treating pediatric MH problems. Two REACH PPPs are scheduled for Fall 2024: October 11-13 (Fairfax) and November 15-17 (via Zoom).

Registration costs $100, and includes continuing education credits for physicians, NPs and PAs awarded by VCU Health Continuing Education. If you want to attend and need funding to do so, VHCF Professional Development funds can cover the cost (see below).

REACH PPP is just one of several great services available through VMAP (Virginia Mental Health Access Program)! PCPs and Psych NPs can access free consultations with Virginia child BH experts (child/adolescent psychiatrists, developmental pediatricians, and licensed mental health professionals) – and more – to treat their patients age 21 and under with MH conditions.

Click here for more information about REACH PPP and to register!

Professional Development Funds for Health Access Organization Staff

VHCF offers up to $650 per Virginia health access organization per year for professional development. Recently approved requests allowed health access organization staff obtain certifications, complete required continuing education units, and strengthen nonprofit management skills.

Click here to learn more or email Andrea Lancaster.

2024 Virginia Health Catalyst Summit

Virginia Health Catalyst’s 2024 Summit will be:

Friday, October 18, 2024

The Westin Richmond

6631 W. Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230

This year’s theme is It's All Connected. Over 200 participants will explore the complex relationship between oral health and overall health, and the power of collaboration to drive positive change. Session topics range from workforce and policy issues, to access, health equity, and integrated care.

VHCF will reimburse the early-bird registration fee ($199) for one person from each Virginia dental safety net organization. Early-bird registration ends August 30.

Click here to for more information and to register for the Summit.

Click here to VHCF request reimbursement for the early-bird registration fee.

Learn to Help Virginians Apply for or Renew Virginia Medicaid Coverage

VHCF offers free live, online SignUpNow (SUN) trainings throughout the year. Workshops cover essential information - “ins and outs” of eligibility requirements, application procedures, and post-enrollment information for Virginia Medicaid, as well as how to help Virginians renew their Medicaid/FAMIS health insurance

Help maximize your organization’s Medicaid revenue! SUN workshops are great for eligibility and billing staff. Program content, updated regularly, is reviewed and approved by Virginia’s Medicaid agency.

There are two types of SUN workshops, covering different state-sponsored health insurance programs:

1. Medicaid/FAMIS programs for children, adults, and families
2. Virginia’s Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) Medicaid-covered groups, including those eligible for/enrolled in ABD with Income ≤80% FPL; programs for Virginians who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), an Auxiliary Grant, or Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS); and the Medicare Savings Programs. 

Learn more about the workshops and register by clicking here. 

Does Your Team Need Training or a Refresher on Using The Pharmacy Connection?

The Pharmacy Connection (TPC) makes it easier and faster to enroll patients/clients in brand name pharmaceutical companies’ Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). To register for an upcoming virtual TPC training for new or experienced users, or a monthly technical assistance call, click here.

Upcoming advanced training topics include Message Center Actions, Letters and Inventory; Research, Request Utility and Reports; and Shortcuts, Tracking and Processing Tips.

Strategic Planning Funds for Health Access Organizations

Ready to update or create your organization’s strategic plan? VHCF provides up to $3,500 to underwrite this critical work. Need help identifying a consultant? VHCF may be able to help.

Contact Andrea Lancaster to learn more.

Have an innovative program or creative solution to share with Virginia health access organizations?

We'd love to hear from you, so we can help get the word out! Please contact Andrea Lancaster with your stories.