As you know, healthcare professionals take care of others continuously. However, these healthcare providers also need assistance at times, and we want you to know that it is OK to ask for help. Treatment for substance addiction or mental health disorders for healthcare professionals is more common than you might think, no one should be ashamed for seeking help.
Licensed professionals need to be healthy in order to practice their profession safely, and the Virginia Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program (HPMP) is a recovering monitoring program to assist qualified healthcare practitioners with a substance use diagnosis, a mental health or physical diagnosis, that may alter their ability to practice their profession safely.
In addition to treatment, monitoring is key for relapse prevention – it is vital that participants get support and assistance to avoid relapse. Accountability in the form of monitoring is one of the best ways to keep recovery progress on track. Monitoring creates goals and can be the motivation needed to continue towards a successful completion and ensures those in your field that you care about your career, and that you are putting the safety of your clients, patients, colleagues and yourself first.
Our goal is to provide each practitioner with the identification and monitoring of the appropriate treatment recovery process to achieve and maintain optimal physical, mental, and emotional health in order to promote self, and patient safety. The HPMP team has the expertise to help participants skillfully navigate their return to safe and productive clinical practice and stay in their chosen careers. Monitoring and support contributes to our program’s high successful completion rate.
Participation in the program is voluntary. Individuals who recognize that they are struggling can sign up for this program on their own. Disciplinary action may be avoided and, in the absence of criminal behavioral or Board action, public records may not be generated.
HPMP services are available to anyone who holds a current, active license, certification or registration by a health regulatory board in Virginia or a multi-state licensure privilege or is an applicant for initial or reinstatement of licensure, certification, or registration for up to one year from the date of receipt of their application.
If you or someone you know could use the assistance of HPMP and would like to get started, or have questions, contact the Virginia HPMP toll-free at 1-866-206-4747 or email vahpmp@vcuhealth.org.
