Virginia Telemental Health Initiative Launches To Provide Free Mental Health Services To Uninsured Or Underinsured

In early December 2022, the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) began piloting the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI) to provide free mental health services to eligible Virginians who are uninsured or underinsured. The free services are provided by volunteer mental health professionals who are in the process of meeting their licensure requirements. VTMHI volunteers are paired with participating free and charitable clinics through the program.

A secondary goal for the pilot is to develop a virtual mentorship model to mitigate the state’s worsening mental health workforce shortage. Over the next few years, the number of mental health professionals leaving the . . .