In response to urgent student mental health needs across Virginia’s college campuses, the 2022 Virginia General Assembly appropriated funds (2022 Appropriation Act, Item 144#3c) to support a two-year mental health workforce pilot program at public institutions of higher education. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), in consultation with the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF), is charged with administering this pilot program. The General Assembly appropriated a second round of pilot funding for FY 2025 and FY 2026.

The Higher Education Mental Health Workforce Pilot program is a combined workforce and mental health initiative intended to address the immediate and long-term needs of institutions and students for licensed campus-based mental health professionals. Appropriated funds underwrite the salary and benefits of an onsite LPC or LCSW candidate for ~two/two and half years. During this time, hosting universities hire, train and supervise the LPC/LCSW candidates at on-campus mental health care facilities until licensed. The ~two-year timeframe roughly meets Virginia’s Department of Health Professions hours of supervision requirement.

The initial competitive pilot grants were awarded to six public universities: Christopher Newport, George Mason, James Madison, Longwood, Radford and Virginia Tech in late 2022. The 2024 General Assembly appropriated a second round of funding for FY 2025 and FY 2026. The above referenced pilot sites were awarded the additional funds (except for Virginia Tech) and hiring for their new candidates will occur throughout 2025.

Preliminary Impact

To date, the pilot has supported 11* LPC/LCSW candidates who collectively: served 1,446 students; completed more than 8,750 clinical hours; and obtained 16,055 hours of supervision since they started working, thereby approximately doubling the students served and the number of clinical hours from those reported in the 2024 annual report.

The pilot is approximately two years into implementation (from Round One candidate start dates). SCHEV continues to be satisfied with the progress in meeting the intent of the program: Improving the ability to meet the student demand for counseling/social work services; stabilizing/reducing burnout of LPC and LCSW staff at the student health/counseling centers; and candidate progress toward hours for licensure. Several key findings from the pilot, some recurring and some new, along with recommendations from SCHEV, have emerged for the General Assembly’s consideration.

1. The pilot program continues to be oversubscribed. SCHEV received more proposals than it could support for both Round One (FY 2023/FY 2024) and Round Two (FY 2025/FY 2026). Each of the two rounds was supported by $500,000 in appropriated funds each fiscal year. SCHEV supported six institutions in Round One (receiving 10 proposals) and five institutions in Round Two (receiving nine proposals). Such oversubscription limits assessment of the pilot program’s impact due to a small sample size. All proposals demonstrated significant need.

2. Participating institutions continue to see tangible impacts. As of May 1, 2025, the LCSW/LPC candidates supported through this pilot have collectively served 1,446 individual student-patients and completed more than 8,750 clinical hours. The addition of the candidates has resulted in: (a) decreased appointment wait times for students; (b) improved staff morale at the on-campus counseling and health centers; and (c) sparked the candidates’ interest in continuing to work at the higher education institution(s) post-licensure, two taking permanent positions at the pilot institutions.

3. The program should be permanently funded at scale. Based on preliminary impacts, the continued student need for mental health services and the shortage of licensed mental health professionals, SCHEV recommends permanently funding the program to scale and underwriting an LPC/LCSW candidate at each Virginia four-year public institution.

4. Continual process improvements are made to improve outcomes. Data collected from pilot sites every six months inform modifications to ensure objectives are achieved. Details regarding suggested modifications as part of the Round Two (FY 2025/FY 2026) call for proposals are included within this annual report. One specific modification, should this program be permanently funded, focuses on recruiting candidates who have already accrued at least six months of clinical hours in order to get to the two/two-and-a half year grant timeline with the necessary hours for licensure. Unlike private practice, the ebb and flow of academic year caseloads (i.e. summer) have impacted the timeline to obtain necessary hours.
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* Note: Of the 11 total candidates; Virginia Tech left the Round One program after the first year because their candidate accepted permanent full-time employment at the Virginia Tech Cooke Counseling Center and will continue to work toward hours for licensure. One of CNU’s Round One candidates left the program just shy of completion for a permanent position elsewhere.