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2024 Session

Budget Amendments - SB30 (Member Request)

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Chief Patron: Ebbin
Pilot Program to Address Subacute Behavioral Health Needs of the Uninsured

Item 279 #5s

Item 279 #5s

First Year - FY2025 Second Year - FY2026
Health and Human Resources
Department of Health FY2025 $500,000 FY2026 $500,000 GF

Language
Page 310, line 3, strike "$29,665,423" and insert "$30,165,423".
Page 310, line 3, strike "$26,415,423" and insert "$26,915,423".

Page 311, after line 51, insert:

"4. Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year from the general fund shall be provided to the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (VAFCC) and the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) to partner with the Virginia Department of Health to conduct a pilot program to support free and charitable clinics in intervention into all clinical services to address patient's subacute behavioral health needs and integrate behavioral health safety planning into their workflow. VAFCC shall partner with the VTN's Virginia Telemental Health Initiative to support free and charitable clinics. VTN shall work with free and charitable clinics from four regions of the Commonwealth and will train free clinic volunteer and paid staff to: (i) incorporate evidence-based practices to enable free clinic providers and staff to screen for suicidal tendencies; (ii) integrate screening, safety, and assessment tools in free clinic workflows; (iii) develop and utilize patient safety assessments to identify patients in need of behavioral health services and develop traditional and telehealth care plans; (iv) develop safety plans for the clinic to deal with patient behavioral health emergencies that include community connections and continuity of care processes; and (v) triage safety concerns to identify the appropriate level and setting of clinical management and patient support (i.e. when to refer patients to alternative care settings if needed in lieu of telehealth services. VAFCC and VTN shall report by November 1 of each year to the department and the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Appropriations and House Appropriations Committees on the number of patients the participating clinics screened and served, the care provided including behavioral telehealth services, and if referrals were made to other community providers."



Explanation

(This amendment provides $500,000 each year from the general fund for a pilot program developed by the Virginia Telehealth Network to help free clinics provide subacute behavioral health treatment to uninsured and Medicaid patients through telehealth and/or partnerships with community behavioral health providers. The program will also help free clinics develop safety plans to ensure staff and patients are safe when free clinic patients experience mental health crisis.)