As a master's student in social work Virgil became a founding member of the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition (PAHRC) which advocated for the advancement of policies that improve the health of drug users and their community. After receiving his master's in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, Virgil provided technical assistance to public health officials in North Carolina and lobbied state representatives while serving as Advocacy Manager for the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. Following his work in NC, Virgil served as a Manager of Drug User Health for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) where he provided technical assistance to public health departments across the country concerning ways to improve drug user health. In 2020, Virgil Hayes was accepted to the University of Missouri as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication with a focus on health crises and stigma.