A new, multi-pronged $2 million behavioral health initiative, Brighter Days Ahead: Addressing Virginia’s Mental Health Crisis (BDA), launched by The nonprofit Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF), is designed to address the significant shortage of licensed behavioral health professionals; the paucity of sites providing children’s mental health services; and the mental health of Virginia’s healthcare safety net providers.

Executive Director Deborah Oswalt says, “Virginia is in the midst of a mental health crisis that spans all regions, ages, races, ethnicities, incomes and occupations.” BDA will expand the VHCF Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program and its Boost 200 program, which pays for licensure-required supervision for masters-prepared social workers, counselors and marriage and family therapists to help them become licensed in Virginia.

The Safe Haven Initiative, anchored by the Medical Society of Virginia, is a confidential resource that provides medical, dental, behavioral health providers, nurses and pharmacists and their families a safe space to address burnout, career fatigue and mental health concerns. Nurture Now: Helping Kids Shine will be targeted to local schools.

For more information, call 804-828-5804 or visit vhcf.org/who-and-how-we-help/behavioral-health.