Chesapeake Care Clinic and ODU Community Care offer free teletherapy services

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Chesapeake Care Clinic and ODU Community Care have partnered with the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI) to offer patients access to free teletherapy services.

As a virtual clinic, VTMHI works with volunteer pre-licensed mental health providers, who are in the process of completing licensure, to provide services to eligible patients referred to by participating and charitable clinics.

“We’re so thankful to our clinic partners and volunteers who have helped build an innovative structure that is putting mental health services within the reach of Virginians who otherwise could not afford or access it,” said Mara Servaites, Executive Director of VTMHI. “VTMHI is the first model we know of in the U.S. with a dual mission of providing free mental health services to medically underserved populations virtually while also supporting the next generation of mental health providers with the licensure process so they can enter the workforce faster.”

The VTMHI model expands access to mental health services as it has scheduled nearly 2,000 telemental health sessions with an average of 11 days between referral and a patient’s first appointment. It is a dramatic improvement compared to the average wait time of three months or longer, according to the American Physchological Association’s 2023 Practitioner Pulse Survey.

Interested patients can contact free and charitable clinics directly to determine their eligibility and make appointments. To access the clinic directory, visit here .

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