In today’s digital age, virtual therapy has become an essential tool for providing mental health support. While it offers convenience and accessibility, it also presents unique challenges in creating the same level of emotional safety and connection as in-person sessions. For mental health providers, ensuring that patients feel secure, supported, and understood in a virtual […]
Read More… from Best Practices for Creating a Safe Space in a Virtual Therapy Session
During the 2024 Virginia Telehealth Network Summit, Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance (BRTA) received the inaugural VTN Innovator Award for its work to expand access to behavioral health care in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck regions of rural Virginia. The VTN Innovator Award celebrates the unique and groundbreaking ways health care providers, clinics, and organizations […]
Read More… from Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance Receives Inaugural VTN Innovator Award
Mental Health Awareness Month is in full swing and with it, a reminder of the importance of maintaining mental wellness. Across the country mental health conditions are a persistent challenge with more than 20% of adults (approximately 50 million) experiencing a mental illness every year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Factors […]
Across the country, Substance Use Disorder (SUD) continues to be one of the most prevalent challenges faced by many: in 2023, 15.35% of Americans were reported to be battling substance use disorder according to data from Mental Health America. Of those, 93.5% did not receive any form of treatment. Stigma, cost, and geographical barriers have […]
The breadth and depth of Virginia’s mental health crisis is harrowing. According to Mental Health America, Virginia is in the bottom-third of states when it comes to access to mental health services. Additionally, the latest data from the Health Resources & Services Administration states that every locality throughout the state is experiencing a shortage of […]
Read More… from Strengthening Virginia’s Mental Health Workforce with Telehealth
Nicole (Nikki) Kemp, NP-C of Bernard Healthcare Center in Rocky Mount, Va. is providing hope for her patients by talking openly about how important mental health care is to meeting the overall health needs of her patients. Earlier this year, Bernard Healthcare Center began offering free teletherapy to eligible patients of the clinic through the […]
As we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, it’s important to reflect on the breadth and depth of mental health issues across the country. Virtually every adult agrees the country is facing a mental health crisis, as nearly a third of U.S. adults report feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Younger generations […]
Read More… from Mental Health Awareness Month: Increasing Mental Health Resources
There is a great need for behavioral and mental health services in Virginia. A Mental Health America report ranked Virginia 39th nationwide when it comes to the availability of mental health services for adults, with 125 out of 133 cities and counties in the state designated as Mental Health Professional Shortages Areas. To help expand […]
Read More… from VTN-Led Initiative Now Offering Free Telemental Health Services Statewide
Telehealth served not only as a solution for Bradley Free Clinic, and many other clinics and providers, to be able to see existing mental health patients during the onset of the pandemic, but it allowed Bradley to support its community when the demand for mental health skyrocketed. In just over two years, Bradley increased its mental health […]
Read More… from Supporting Roanoke’s exploding demand while growing recourses
For most mental health providers, the COVID-era transition from in-person sessions to virtual ones was a challenge, even for those with clients who had ready access to broadband internet. Communicating through a computer or cell phone does not come second nature to all, especially when your client is five years old. When the world shut […]
Read More… from For Mental Health Therapy, “Meeting Kids Where They Are” Might Best be Online