I agree that as long as a provider is a licensed professional or business who have the credentials in this field, have experience and can provide education should be able to. QMHPs haven’t been under a board for years and were working with clients with no form of continuing education specific to the work they were doing. They are not clinical, therefore the rules for continuing education shouldn’t be as stringent as it would for a clinical professional. 

The National Association of Social workers, Virginia Chapter supports the Board of Counseling to approve accrediting bodies that are already written into the Code from adjacent health professions, including NASWVA. NASWVA is a widely utilized body for credentialing social workers and other aligned health professionals.  Hundreds of social workers are QMHP's so this would also align with the professional development requirement.  Because QMHP's work with clients with serious mental health issue and/or  challenging families, and are apart of the behavioral health continuum, it is important that  competencies using life long learning in the form of continuing education be a priority.

I am a nurse and I provide continuing education trainings to CNAs and direct care staff in Assisted Living Facilities.  As long as you have the credentials and expertise as an individual you can provide it. On a personal note, I have taken Alesha’s classes and they are very much  needed. They are interactive, informative and catered to the population she is teaching. She provides these same trainings for professional organizations which demonstrates she is qualified to provide these QMHP classes. 

As long as a person is qualified and credentialed they should be able to provide classes for QMHPs. The trainings should not be limited to certain entities as some of these approved entities don’t provide trainings specific to QMHPs but to counselors or are geared towards which makes it hard to find trainings specific to QMHPs. 

To: Virginia Board of Counseling

Refer: Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services, LLC

Petition--391

I am a Qualified Mental Health Professionals-A, recipient of Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services, LLC, CEU classes. I hope the board will amend the regulation to allow qualified trainers/business to provide classes to QMHP-A, C. There is a great deal of CEU for counselors and social workers but not for QMHP. As the board knows, QMHP may only render some psychological services but only practice within their lawful scope of employment.  Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services, LLC render CEU that are helpful to QMHP i.e., ethnic training, cultural competence, integrated care, CPR training, first-aid training, etc. Since I have been taking my 8 CEU classes with this company, I have become a better employee as well as servicing my mental health clients in the community. I have increased my communication skills with the care physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers to coordinate patient care. I want to fight for Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services, LLC to continue to provide CEU classes. QMHP-A needs to take at least 8 hours of continuing educational credits to maintain the credential. I am asking the Virginia Board of Counseling to make Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services, LLC, an “approved entity”.

Thanks in advance.

Community Mental Health-QMHP

To: VBC

Refer: Alesha Perkins/PerkinsMedical Services LLC

Petition -391

Hello all, as a Qualified Mental health Professional A/C and a recipient of the training(s) provided by Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services LLC. have been both affordable and beneficial to my career. In our small rural community of Martinsville Henry County, we find it very difficult to find a provider that can provide the services that she offers at an affordable price. Not only by price but have the quality education and experience to assist and educate other professionals to not only better themselves but the quality care that they provide/ offer to their consumers/clients. Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services LLC has been providing these services for years to all of the local businesses in the area. Please consider and recognize Alesha Perkins/Perkins Medical Services LLC as an entity to continue to provide CEU’s to current and developing efficient health care professionals.