Roanoke, Virginia (WDBJ) – Since the pandemic, Roanoke Valley Family Services I stayed busy. Over 40 people are on the waiting list for counseling.
Roanoke Valley clinical director Sarah Halig Family Services said:
Regulation change by Virginia Social Work Commission Increase access. Social his workers who move to Virginia will find it easier to continue their jobs in the Commonwealth.
“Otherwise, I think it was 1,000 hours of extra supervision that was required to get my license here,” he said. Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services Commissioner Nelson Smith. “provided they can show proof of a license in good standing in another state and proof that they have taken the same exams as they did in Virginia.”
a Virginia Health Care Foundation 2021 Report We found that Commonwealth ranked 39th in mental health care.
“Virginia has a severe shortage of mental health professionals, and this is an important step for the Social Work Commission to address this shortage,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “My administration’s priority is to reduce state regulatory and regulatory barriers, and this action is designed to remove barriers to practice, with the goal of bringing more mental health professionals into the Commonwealth. It shows how we can streamline regulation.”
Harig says experts are simply failing to keep up with increased demand.
“And what we can do to ease the burden of licensing while providing counselors, social workers, and quality services will be really, really important. Because I don’t think it will go away.”
Smith says this will have a positive impact on the Commonwealth.
“We will ensure that people in Virginia get the care they need when they need it,” Smith said.
Harig hopes this will help burnout professionals are experiencing.
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