Do you LOVE Oral Health? Join us for a virtual Valentine's Day Tooth Talk Roundtable!

On February 14 from 11am-1pm, join dental professionals and leaders from around the state as we share opportunities, updates, and challenges on all things dental in Virginia:

• Learn how to become a Center of Inclusive Dentistry, partner with local schools to offer the Smart Smiles curriculum, and connect youth in your community to the free Dental Health Summer Intitute;
• Discover opportunities to attract and retain needed clinical staff through new and ongoing loan repayment and signing bonus programs;  
• Hear a Legislative Update on dental-related topics, including bills from the current General Assembly session and items in the House and Senate budgets
• Understand new branding and other state-level changes related to the Medicaid dental benefit.

Register by February 13. 

Do you know a health professional who needs some relief from student loans? Applications are open for the Virginia Student Loan Repayment Program

The Virginia Department of Health-Office of Health Equity operates the Virginia Student Loan Repayment Program, which provides awards to qualified medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical professionals in return for a minimum of two years of service at an eligible site in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area in Virginia. Visit the VDH website to learn more and apply online by March 31.

In addition, the Virginia Behavioral Health Student Loan Repayment Program is an annual $1.6 million fund established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2021 to help recruit and retain behavioral health professionals to practice in underserved areas of the Commonwealth or to provide counseling and treatment to underserved populations. Priority will be given to eligible BH professionals of color, those who speak more than one language fluently, and/or those who practice in one of Virginia’s many mental health professional shortage areas. Visit the VDH website to learn more or apply online by April 15.

Announcing New VHCF Health Access Grants



The Virginia Health Care Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $1.1 million to 14 organizations throughout Virginia. These grants will increase access to behavioral health, medical, and dental services for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. See the full list of grantees and projects awarded here!

Spring 2023 Changes Coming to Virginia Medicaid/FAMIS Programs

During the pandemic, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) allowed Virginians to retain Medicaid coverage without having to renew their eligibility each year. Beginning in Spring 2023, DMAS will have 14 months to determine if all 2.1 million Virginians who are currently covered by Medicaid/FAMIS are still eligible.

Thanks to automated eligibility systems, DMAS may be able to complete some Medicaid/FAMIS members’ renewal automatically (called an ex parte renewal), but others may need to provide more up-to-date information to ensure a successful renewal.

Ensure that your patients/clients with Medicaid/FAMIS coverage update their contact information so that they can receive mail from the state about their Medicaid/FAMIS renewal at the appropriate time.

If a Medicaid/FAMIS member has moved or changed phone numbers since 2019, they can report this important change:

• To their Medicaid/FAMIS health plan, aka Managed Care Organization (MCO)
• Online at commonhelp.virginia.gov
• By calling the local Department of Social Services
• By calling Virginia’s One Benefits line at 1-833-5CALLVA.

Then, beginning in Spring 2023, Medicaid/FAMIS members should be on the lookout for mail from DMAS letting them know about next steps to ensure their Medicaid/FAMIS coverage can continue, if they are still eligible.

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Available to Virginia Families

This new federal program can help families pay for broadband service and internet-connected devices. Eligible families can receive:

• Up to $30/month discount for broadband service;
• Up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands; and
•  A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider, so long as the household contributes between $11 – $49 toward the purchase price.

The ACP is limited to one monthly service discount, and one device discount per household. A household is eligible for the ACP if its income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria outlined here. For more information and full details, visit fcc.gov/acp, or call 877-384-2575.

Right Help. Right Now – In December, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a plan to invest $230 million in transforming Virginia’s behavioral health system. Check out the link above for an overview of the entire plan, including trauma-informed changes to our crisis response system, investments to expand safety and recovery resources for drug users, and more.

Disconnect: The Gap Between Patient Experience and Provider Assumptions – Equitable care is about more than access. This Community Partners in Oral Health report examines barriers to equitable care – including experiences of racism – and offers specific community-driven strategies to drive change at the community, clinic, public health system, and policy levels.

 Virginia HEALS Trauma-Informed Agency Self-Assessment – Are you ready to take a deeper look at your organization’s trauma-informed care practices? This tool offers community-serving agencies and organizations a simple, accessible structure for assessing trauma-informed care practices and setting improvement goals.

How do you measure the impact of integrated care? – The National Council on Mental Wellbeing has published The Comprehensive Healthcare Integration (CHI) Framework, a guide for physicians, payers, and policymakers to measure progress in the delivery of integrated medical and behavioral health care services.

• Want to hone the skills or expand the knowledge of your team or yourself? VHCF offers up to $650 per organization per year to pay for professional development. Up to $3,500 is available every three years to underwrite the development of a new strategic plan. Contact Andrea Lancaster or Tara Wiley to learn more about both of these funding opportunities.

• VHCF currently offers two different live, online SignUpNow trainings. One covers the “ins and outs” of eligibility requirements, application procedures, and post-enrollment information for Virginia’s Medicaid/FAMIS programs for children, adults, and families. SignUpNow ABD workshops cover information for Virginia’s Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) Medicaid-covered groups. Learn more about both trainings and upcoming dates here.

• Upcoming virtual trainings for both new and experienced users on how to use The Pharmacy Connection (TPC) for new and experienced users are scheduled through November. For more information or to register for a training, click here.

• The Behavioral Health Hub listserv is a venue for the behavioral health community to share new resources, tips, and opportunities related to the delivery of behavioral health services. Emails are typically sent 1-2x/week, and listserv members are invited and encouraged to actively share the things they are working on and any challenges they are facing. With 1,000 members from all regions of Virginia and a wide variety of organizations, the Hub is the best way to stay connected and updated on the latest news and trends in behavioral health. Subscribe here.

• VHCF also has a variety of informational resources to help you and your staff meet your goals. Don't see what you are looking for? Let us know!

Does your organization have innovative programs or creative solutions to share?

We'd love to hear from you so we can help share it with others! Please contact Andrea Lancaster or Tara Wiley with your stories!