According to the Virginia Youth Survey, 33% of high school students reported “feeling sad or hopeless”, and over 26% said that their “mental health was not good most of the time.”1 These are worrying numbers, and over the past few years, Virginia has introduced new school mental health laws designed to expand access to care, improve early identification, and ensure students receive support before challenges escalate.
This article explores the current state of teen mental health in Virginia, new mental health policies in Virginia schools, and teen mental health services in Virginia schools.
Teen Emotional Health in Virginia
Concerns regarding teen emotional health in Virginia have significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. When school staff and teachers were asked about how students’ mental health shifted since the pandemic, they reported that, in addition to the rates of depression and anxiety increasing, the severity of mental health struggles was heightened. Due to the increased rates and severity of mental illness in adolescents, there is a greater need for mental health services. When students in Virginia do not have access to mental health services, many emotional challenges go untreated, which has resulted in academic disruptions, among other negative consequences later in life.2,3
Mental health challenges also make classroom management more difficult for Virginia teachers. For example, as more students struggle with anxiety, depression, and poor emotional regulation skills, classrooms can become chaotic. New Virginia youth mental health legislation has been introduced to address these challenges.2
Mission Prep Healthcare specializes in mental health treatment for teens aged 12-17, offering residential and outpatient programs for anxiety, depression, trauma, and mood disorders. Our therapies include CBT, DBT, EMDR, and TMS, tailored to each adolescent’s needs.
With a structured, supportive environment, we integrate academic support and family involvement to promote lasting recovery. Our goal is to help teens build resilience and regain confidence in their future.
Virginia Education Mental Health Policy
The 2022–2024 Appropriation Act required the Virginia Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) to fully investigate how to improve mental health support for teens in schools. Based on the findings, Governor Youngkin created the Office of Behavioral Health and Student Safety within the Virginia Department of Education to help Virginia school systems implement appropriate mental health support for students.4
There are three key areas of focus for school-based mental health in Virginia:
- Instructional support and training to identify mental health conditions
- School health and wellness campaigns centered on issues such as drug abuse
- Student services to improve access to mental health care
Efforts to support mental health care in school settings align with Virginia’s Right Help, Right Now plan — a plan developed to strengthen the behavioral healthcare system in Virginia. This is important because there are 500,000 students in Virginia eligible to receive mental health services, but only 50,000 are currently in treatment. This is a gap that needs filling if students are to get the crucial mental and behavioral health support they need.5
Mental Health Programs in Virginia High Schools
The Virginia Community Schools Fund provided funding for school-based mental health services. The fund helped 59 schools across the state to develop and implement comprehensive mental health action plans. Some examples of the types of strategies implemented include new counseling, tele-mental health services, and trauma-informed professional development. These interventions directly impact Virginia teens by increasing access to quality mental health care.6
Some schools also involved families and the local community in their programs by conducting family events, home visits, and family engagement training. Throughout the Virginia Community Schools, a variety of mental health interventions were designed and tested. According to the state’s evaluation and recommendation report, the following programs were suggested:6
- Mental health awareness & promotion
- Mental health screening processes
- School-wide wellness curriculum
- Substance use prevention
- Professional development for staff on mental health/trauma-informed strategies
- Family workshops on mental health
- Expanded school social worker/counselor/psychologist/behavior specialist services
- Partnerships with community-based mental health providers
- Small group interventions
- Peer mentoring
- Tele-mental health services
- Individual counseling
- In-school clinic to support mental health needs
- Calming spaces
The Virginia Community Schools Implementation plan is still developing and expanding, but so far, there have been many positive outcomes, including lower rates of chronic absenteeism, improvements in academic achievement, and increased mental health services available to students. Understanding how schools implement new mental health legislation helps explain why these outcomes have been so promising.
Suicide Prevention Programs in Virginia Schools
Another area of focus for Virginia schools is suicide prevention. In June 2020, the Virginia Board of Education adopted a set of suicide prevention guidelines.
Fostering Protective Factors
Part of school compliance with mental health laws involves implementing prevention campaigns focused on fostering protective factors in students. Examples of protective factors include emotional well-being, strong coping skills, connections to family and friends, and access to clinical care for mental health concerns. By including educational material in the classroom and increasing the number of in-school services, students can start accessing school counseling and support in Virginia when they need it.7
Teacher and Staff Training on Teen Mental Health
In addition to these protective factors, Virginia schools are also requiring teacher and staff training on teen mental health. Professional development programs related to suicide prevention should cover everything from awareness of mental health concerns in youth to recognizing specific risk factors and understanding the suicide risk assessment process.7
There have been many changes to school mental health programs in Virginia over the years due to legal requirements for teen mental health support. Between mandatory training for staff, schoolwide suicide prevention plans, and increased in-school counseling services, Virginia public schools have improved mental health support for teens.
What Parents Should Know About Teen Mental Health Laws
An important part of the school district mental health planning in Virginia includes family and community support for teens. The Virginia Department of Education provides extensive resources for families related to health and wellness, including links to crisis lines, suicide prevention resources, trauma hotlines, and information about substance abuse and misuse.
For parents of teens with severe mental health concerns, knowing about the appropriate crisis lines is more important than ever. For example, 988 Lifeline is always available for people with mental health struggles, emotional distress, and alcohol or drug use concerns. The crisis line has options for teens to call, text, or chat online 24/7.8
In addition, the Virginia Department of Social Services hosts a Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-838-8238). There is also an LGBTQ Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault Helpline (1-866-356-6998).8
Knowing the Warning Signs
Another area for parents to focus on is noticing the signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis in their child. The following are serious signs that your teen could be at risk for suicide:7
- Talking about feeling hopeless
- Voicing concerns about having no reason to live
- Showing extreme mood swings
- Mentioning that they feel like a burden to those around them
- Behaving recklessly
- Withdrawing from friends and family
Knowing the warning signs can help parents take the appropriate next steps to ensure their child’s safety, such as locking up any firearms in the home, limiting access to medications, and talking to children about their mental health.7
Mission Prep: Supporting Teen Emotional Health in Virginia
Even though Virginia’s new laws related to youth mental health have improved access to care within schools, your child might require additional support. If you believe that your teen is experiencing a mental health concern that is impacting their daily life, Mission Prep can help you find the right treatment to address their needs.
We have a variety of options for teen mental health treatment in Virginia, including outpatient behavioral health care, residential mental health treatment, and inpatient mental health services. Call us today to speak confidentially to a member of our team. They can help explain the different levels of mental health care available to you and provide clinical recommendations for your child.
References
- Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Virginia youth mental health. VASIS. https://www.vasis.org/youthmentalhealth
- Behavioral Health Commission. (2023). Maximizing school-based mental health services: Commission draft. Commonwealth of Virginia. https://bhc.virginia.gov/documents/Schoolbased%20mental%20health%20services%20commission%20draft.pdf
- Kranz, A. M., Steiner, E. D., & Mitchell, J. M. (2022). School-based health services in Virginia and the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of School Health, 92(5), 436–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13147
- Virginia General Assembly. (2025). Local education agency survey on school mental and behavioral health services (c. 224). Virginia Acts of Assembly. https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1011791.PDF
- National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services. (2025, February 10). Right help, right now program 1-year update. https://bridges4mentalhealth.org/docs/right-help-right-now-program-1-year-update/
- Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Virginia Community Schools. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/student-services/integrated-student-supports/virginia-community-school-framework
- Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Suicide prevention resources. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/student-services/prevention-strategies-programs/suicide-prevention-resources
- Virginia Department of Education. (2022). Health & wellness resources for families. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/health-education/health-wellness-resources-for-families
