Bill Text: VA HB624 | 2022 | Regular Session | Prefiled

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Bill Title: Behavioral health safety net workforce needs; DBHDS to develop strategy to address, report.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-15 - Left in Appropriations [HB624 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2022-HB624-Prefiled.html

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22103911D
HOUSE BILL NO. 624 Offered January 12, 2022 Prefiled January 11, 2022 A BILL to require the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a work group to develop strategies to meet behavioral health safety net workforce needs in the Commonwealth; report. ---------- Patron-- Roem (By Request) ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. §1. That the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall establish a work group, which shall include representatives of the Department of Health Professions, the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards, the Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program and regional area health education centers, the Virginia Community College System, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and other relevant stakeholders, to develop a strategy to address the behavioral health safety net workforce shortage in the Commonwealth. The work group shall (i) determine the scope of the behavioral health safety net workforce shortage in the Commonwealth including current unmet needs and future needs, (ii) identify the barriers to expansion of the behavioral health safety net workforce in the Commonwealth, and (iii) develop strategies to address those barriers including strategies for improving the behavioral health safety net workforce pipeline. The work group shall also provide recommendations for statutory, regulatory, and budgetary actions necessary to implement such strategies. The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2022.