How a Free Virtual Clinic is Boosting Mental Health Access in Virginia

Mental healthcare appears to be bucking the overarching downward trend in telehealth utilization, with telemental health service adoption holding steady amid declines in other specialties. This has prompted greater investment in telemental healthcare services nationwide, including state-level efforts to expand mental healthcare access to underserved and vulnerable communities.One such effort is the expansion of the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI), which has become the state’s first free virtual mental health clinic.Research shows that virtual mental healthcare services are immensely popular. Data analyzed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reveals that 43.2 percent of psychiatrist visits occurred via telehealth in 2021 versus 4.5 % of visits to other physicians. In January 2024, mental health conditions still topped the telehealth diagnosis list, accounting for 66.3 % of telehealth claim lines nationwide, according to FAIR Health data.