Addressing Virginias Mental Health Workforce Shortages

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Addressing Virginias Mental Health Workforce
Shortages

• Mental Health Professionals Shortage Data
• Ken Studer, Ph.D.
• Shortage Designations Manager
• State Efforts to Address The Workforce Shortage
• Aileen Harris, M.S.A.
• Healthcare Workforce Rural Health Manager
• Virginia Department of Health
• Office of Minority Health Public Health Policy
• Division of Primary Care Rural Health

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Office of Minority Health Public Health Policy

• Mission
• To identify health inequities, assess their root
  causes, and address them by promoting social
  justice, influencing policy, establishing
  partnerships, providing resources and educating
  the public.

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Division of Primary Care Rural Health

• Mission
• To focus on barriers to access to care that
  contribute to poor/inequitable health outcomes.

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Strategies to Address Needs

• Identifying communities with the greatest unmet
  health care needs, disparities, and health
  workforce shortages
• Identifying the key barriers to access to health
  care for these communities and working toward
  solutions

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Health Professional Shortage Designations
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Mental Health HPSAs in Virginia

• Virginia currently has 65 separate Mental HPSA
  Designations in 85 Counties
• 25 Community Health Centers
• 25 Correctional Facilities
• 2 State Mental Hospitals
• 16 Geographic Areas (10 CSB Catchment Areas)
• Short 23 Psychiatrists
• Find Listing at http//hpsafind.hrsa.gov/

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Mental Health HPSAs in Virginia
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Distribution of Psychiatrists by Sector
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Distribution of Psychiatrists
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Distribution of Clinical Psychologists
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Distribution of Licensed Professional Counselors
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Distribution of Licensed Clinical Social Workers
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Target Areas FTE Child Psychiatry per 100,000
18 Years and Under
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Models of Care Virginia Acute Care Hospital
Psychiatric Beds
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Finding Solutions to Disparities in Access to
Mental Health Care

• Understand the Distribution of the Problem
• Rural
• Inner City
• Target Areas of Highest Need
• Children
• Uninsured
• Develop Appropriate Models of Care
• Use all Mental Health Professionals Efficiently
• Address Unique Community Needs

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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage

• Assure Provider Support
• State and Federal Incentive Programs to Increase
  Access to Care
• Strong Recruitment Efforts

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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage

• Federal and State Incentive Programs
• Programs available to practitioners seeking
  practice opportunities in Virginia
• Two (2) Loan Repayment Programs
• J-1 Visa Waiver Program
• Three (3) Nursing Scholarship Programs

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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage

• Loan Repayment Programs
• Virginia Physician Loan Repayment Program
• Virginia State Loan Repayment Program
• National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment
  Program
• Application Period is January 1 May 1
• Funding amount 50K to 120K

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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage
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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage

• J-1 Visa Waiver Program
• Must practice primary care for at least 3 years
  in a federally designated health professional
  shortage area or a medically underserved area
• Also open to specialists
• 30 slots annually (10 FLEX slots)

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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage

• Nursing Scholarships
• Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship Program for
  Licensed Practical Nurses (funding and award
  amount varies)
• Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship Program for
  Registered Nurses (funding and award amount
  varies)
• Virginia's Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwife
  Scholarship Program (5,000)

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The States Efforts to Address the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage

• Strong Recruitment Efforts
• Free Recruitment Website to promote Virginia
  PPOVA - www.ppova.org
• Subscribe to PPOVA Updates!
• 3RNet National Rural Recruitment and Retention
  Network
• Virginia A Healthy Place to Work Recruitment
  Video
• Recruitment and Direct Contacts
• Virginia State Rural Health Plan Healthcare
  Workforce Council

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Resources

• Office of Minority Health Public Health Policy
  Website http//www.vdh.state.va.us/healthpolicy/
• Primary Practice Opportunities of Virginia
  Website www.ppova.org
• Email Contact Aileen Edwards Harris, M.S.A.
• Aileen.Harris_at_vdh.virginia.gov [phone]
• Kenneth Studer, Ph.D.
• Kenneth.Studer_at_vdh.virginia.gov (804)
  864-7428