The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and the VHHA Foundation hosted the 2026 Virginia Behavioral Health Summit, Thursday, Sept. 24, at The Westin-Richmond. “Innovating with Purpose: Building a Resilient Behavioral Health System” was the theme for this annual statewide event that attracted hundreds of healthcare leaders, behavioral health providers, policymakers, patient advocates, and community partners for shared learning and collaboration on efforts to enhance care quality and access for individuals receiving mental health and substance use treatment services in Virginia.

Featured speakers at the 2026 Virginia Behavioral Health Summit include Virginia Health and Human Resources Secretary Marvin Figueroa and Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) Commissioner Daryl Washington, among others. Morning keynote remarks on the importance of building resilience in healthcare teams will be shared by Amy Dee, a nurse and motivational speaker. Afternoon keynote remarks will be offered by David Francisco, a music producer and former American Idol contestant with an inspiring story of overcoming a serious accident and paralysis. View the event website here and the Summit program brochure here.

The Summit agenda featured sessions on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in behavioral healthcare, growing and sustaining well-being in healthcare teams, innovation in emergency behavioral healthcare, aggression risk prediction, workplace safety, workplace violence recovery, and addiction medicine integration across the care continuum. Additional Summit speakers included representatives from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, Augusta Health, Bon Secours, Carilion Clinic, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, Inova, Lifepoint Health (Sovah Health), Riverside Health, the Rhode Island College School of Social Work, UVA Health, VCU Health, and the Virginia Treatment Center for Children.