Mental Health Virginia supports all efforts to remove barriers that are not needed to protect the public but which prevent otherwise qualified peer specialists from being hired when the employer wants to hire them. Virginia has one of the worst rankings for access to a behavioral health workforce. We need trained peer specialists in positions where they can use their own lived experience to help others.

Voices for Virginia's Children support HB1877 as it removes significant financial barriers for individuals who would otherwise be appropriate to be licensed as a peer recovery specialist in the state. This bill improves access for individuals to become PRS' and thus, opens up more opportunities for the Commonwealth to meet the needs of our community members living with mental health challenges and illness.