Dear friends,

This week, I’ll discuss new Medicaid and DMV services, talk about a visit to one of SD-10’s elementary schools, and share information about a state-wide campaign for our healthcare workers. Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter and staying informed about the current happenings around Virginia Senate District 10.

Central Virginia Women Leaders of the General Assembly: Town Hall
Before we dive into the newsletter, I wanted to tell you about an event coming up tomorrow, Saturday, December 11. We will be hosting a town hall with women leaders of the Central Virginia Delegation at the Islamic Center of Virginia, located at 1241 Buford Road. We will discuss the 2022 General Assembly session and take questions from constituents. This event is open to the public, but we do ask that you register here. We hope you will join us!

New Behavioral Health Services for Adults and Youth
Constituents using Medicaid now have access to six new behavioral health services that strengthen crisis response, address children’s mental health care, and provide new support for individuals with developmental disabilities. The new services that will be covered include multisystemic therapy and functional family therapy for children, mobile crisis response, community stabilization, 23-hour crisis stabilization, and residential crisis stabilization. Virginia Medicaid members interested in learning more about these services should contact their managed care organization, behavioral health specialist, or primary care provider. For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) website.

Expanding DMV Services
Residents of Chesterfield County will soon be able to access DMV services closer to home. The new Chesterfield DMV Select office, located at 9901 Lori Road, will open on December 13 and offer services related to E-ZPass, license plates, titles and registrations, and more. Please note, this DMV Select office does not issue driver's licenses, Real IDs, or photo IDs. The office operates by appointment only Monday through Friday from 9:00am until 4:00pm. Appointments can be made through Chesterfield County’s website. To find more information about DMV Select services and locations, click here. 

Additionally, beginning December 15, DMV customers may choose to walk-in for services on Wednesdays—an expansion on walk-in services provided on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—at all 75 customer service centers (CSCs). DMV will continue to serve customers by appointment on Mondays and Fridays. In addition to walk-ins and appointments, remember that over 50 services are accessible online at dmvNOW.com. 

Communities in Schools (CiS) Visit 
On Monday, I had the opportunity to visit J.A. Chalkley Elementary School in Chesterfield to explore their Communities in Schools (CiS) program. As they like to say, CiS coordinators are “the mortar between the bricks,” connecting children and families to the services they need, both in and out of school. You can learn more about the work Communities in Schools (CiS) Chestefield is doing by clicking here. 

I’d like to extend gratitude to Chalkley’s Principal, Arianne Hayes, Chalkey’s CiS Coordinator, Saida Bouhajja, and Executive Director of CiS Chesterfield, Ashley Hall, for hosting me. Go Roadrunners! 

Lights Up For Heroes
Our healthcare workers have been on the front lines of this pandemic—providing a comforting voice or a caring hand and putting those around them before themselves. Our gratitude to these amazing individuals cannot be overstated. 

In these challenging times, lights have become a symbol of hope. This year, HCA Virginia is asking individuals, businesses, organizations, and other community partners to keep their holiday lights up this 2021-2022 holiday season through January 31, 2022 to show their support for our healthcare heroes. They have consistently shown support for their community, now it’s time for the community to show that we support them. You can post your decorations and displays online using the hashtag #LightsUp4Heroes. Read more about the campaign here. 

Contacting My Office
I continue to have one-on-one meetings with constituents and organizations. If you want to schedule a meeting, on Zoom or in person, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. As a reminder, email is the best way to contact us. We can be reached at [email protected]. You can also schedule a meeting through our easy scheduling app.

— Ghazala