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Mental Health Care

The need for mental health services for Virginians has never been more clear. 

While some help is available for those suffering from the most serious mental illnesses, few resources are available for uninsured Virginians trying to cope with depression, anxiety and other similar mental health challenges.  Untreated, these conditions interfere with families, jobs and lives.

If you are uninsured and need help finding mental health services

While VHCF doesn't provide mental health care directly to patients, we can help you identify places to turn.   Go to Mental Health Care - Looking for Help?

How VHCF is helping

The Virginia Health Care Foundation is involved in several efforts to increase access to mental health care for uninsured Virginians:

A New Lease On Life: Health for Virginians with Mental Illness

A New Lease on Life is a $2 million special initiative to provide uninsured Virginians with treatment for basic mental health services, and to provide primary medical care and prescriptions medicines to uninsured Virginians with serious mental illness. It combines the expertise and talents of local health safety net organizations (free clinics, community health centers) and local community services boards to address serious unmet needs through two innovative approaches. 

	Basic mental health services and access to necessary prescription medicines in a health safety net setting for uninsured patients of the health safety net organization and uninsured clients referred by the local Community Services Board; and/or
	Primary medical care and access to necessary prescription medicines in a health safety net setting for uninsured Community Service Board clients with serious mental illness, who are able to follow a provider’s recommended treatment.

A New Lease on Life is a collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, the Virginia Health Care Foundation, the Virginia Community Healthcare Association (VACHA), the Virginia Association of Free Clinics (VAFC) and the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB).  (View the list of major donors for this important initiative.)

Learn more about A New Lease on Life:  Health for Virginians with Mental Illness.

Mental Health Roundtables

VHCF also hosts semi-annual Mental Health Roundtables for health safety net organizations, Community Services Boards, mental health professionals, policy makers and others.  These half-day roundtables focus on key issues related to increasing access to mental health services for Virginians.  The next mental Health Roundtable will take place in June 2010. Email sheri@vhcf.org to be added to the Mental Health Roundtable email list.

Copies of presentations from recent Mental Health Roundtables, as well as other resources related to providing mental health services in Virginia can be found on VHCF's Mental Health Additional Resources web page.

Community Resources

In addition to the outreach provided through A New Lease on Life and the VHCF Mental Health Roundtables, the following community resources exist for those coping with mental illness:

	Community Services Boards (CSBs) are local government agencies responsible for the delivery of community-based mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse services.  Emergency services and case management are required services, and are usually provided to individuals with serious mental illness. Find your local Virginia Community Services Board.
	Mental Health America/Virginia (MHAV) has 14 affiliates statewide working to developing services to prevent mental illness and assuring the proper care and treatment of mentally ill children and adults. Find a nearby MHAV affiliate.
	2-1-1 VIRGINIA  provides links to mental health service providers by zip code, by region, or statewide.