I endorse the subcommittee's recommendation to support this bill. Currently, people with serious mental health problems, often self-medicated by substance abuse, who finds themselves facing criminal charges, also find themselves in limbo waiting for the more thorough mental health assessment. This delays services and healing for the person who is ill and adds to incarceration expenses. A one-time boost to staffing in order to catch up can then be maintained with benefit for all. Thank you for considering this.

On behalf of the Virginia Association of Community-Based Providers (VACBP), the largest association of private-sector providers of community-based behavioral health services to Virginia's Medicaid population, I urge you to vote yes on HB 1874. The VACBP supports efforts to identify and provide services to individuals committed to local correction facilities in a timely manner. We also strongly support the ability for private-sector providers to partner with correction facilities to help meet the behavioral health needs of those in their facilities. Thanks to Del. Coyner for introducing this legislation. The VACBP also supports HB 2092, which will ensure all providing direct patient services, including those contracting with a provider and those employed by a temp agency used by a provider. Thanks to Del. Willett for introducing this bill.

I am for nurse practitioner to be able to practice without a doctor being there

Addressing topics for perspective is a form of growth.

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services strongly supports this agency bill to extend background check and central registry requirements to contracted staff providing direct care services, oftentimes alone, to individuals receiving DBHDS licensed services.

In favor of programs to better facilitate the development and progress of my community.

On behalf of the Virginia Association of Community-Based Providers (VACBP), the largest association of private-sector providers of community-based behavioral health services to Virginia's Medicaid population, I urge you to vote yes on HB 1874. The VACBP supports efforts to identify and provide services to individuals committed to local correction facilities in a timely manner. We also strongly support the ability for private-sector providers to partner with correction facilities to help meet the behavioral health needs of those in their facilities. Thanks to Del. Coyner for introducing this legislation. The VACBP also supports HB 2092, which will ensure all providing direct patient services, including those contracting with a provider and those employed by a temp agency used by a provider. Thanks to Del. Willett for introducing this bill.

We will support the bill as introduced; DBHDS worked with us to address the greatest of our concerns and reduced the potentially devastating impact on the providers of developmental disability services to a manageable level. Especially in these difficult times, providers have used staffing agencies to supplement already depleted staffing when self-isolation/quarantine was required. And as vacancies become more difficult to fill especially with increasing competition driven by the minimum wage increases, staffing agencies will be critical. We would, however, discourage providers who use contract staff for “direct care” roles to be cautious about the potential misclassification of employees. We also note that the provisions added to §37.2-416 (private providers) and §37.2-506 (CSBs & BHA) were not added to §37.2-314 (DBHDS operated facilities)

We will support the bill as introduced; DBHDS worked with us to address the greatest of our concerns and reduced the potentially devastating impact on the providers of developmental disability services to a manageable level. Especially in these difficult times, providers have used staffing agencies to supplement already depleted staffing when self-isolation/quarantine was required. And as vacancies become more difficult to fill especially with increasing competition driven by the minimum wage increases, staffing agencies will be critical. We would, however, discourage providers who use contract staff for “direct care” roles to be cautious about the potential misclassification of employees. We also note that the provisions added to §37.2-416 (private providers) and §37.2-506 (CSBs & BHA) were not added to §37.2-314 (DBHDS operated facilities)