As May comes to a close, the issues surrounding mental health continue to resonate during Mental Health Awareness Month. Some parts of the state are struggling more than others.
Virginia is in a state of crisis, a mental health crisis that shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. Numbers from the federal government show a troubling lack of mental health professionals.
Most localities in Virginia have been dubbed Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas — especially southside and southwest.
Michael Cassidy at the Commonwealth Institute says there are some solutions on the table.
“Key initiatives like loan forgiveness, cash incentives, higher pay and a focus on worker safety have been proposed as possible solutions to meet the behavioral health needs in the state," he explains.
Just last month, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association issued a report that said the lack of access to care is coming at the worst possible time, as the country is dealing with an opioid crisis and alarming rates of suicide.
“If a nurse wants to practice independently in an underserved area, which you have 83 of them in Virginia, they can’t do so without the oversight and collaboration of a psychiatrist,” says Gail Stern, president of the association.
She says allowing nurses to work independently would be a good first step in making help available in rural parts of Virginia that are struggling without enough mental health professionals to meet the demand.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
