The General Assembly directed the Virginia Department of Education in Chapters 224 and 239 (2025 Acts of Assembly) to carry out a survey of local education agencies (LEAs) across the Commonwealth. The goals of the survey were to investigate the school-based mental health services available and to gather information on processes for facilitating access to services and supports (Appendix A). More specifically, the survey and this report are intended to:

• Provide data from the survey to help evaluate the availability of school-based mental health services across the Commonwealth;

• Provide data from the survey to help understand how schools facilitate access for students to community mental and behavioral health services providers; and

• Inform and support the development and improvement of guidelines for school-based mental health services and supports.

Divisions were asked about their use of practices central to comprehensive School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) systems. The establishment of referral pathways to outside providers was the most widely implemented practice, with 98% of divisions reporting such pathways. Other core practices – such as SBMH teaming, needs assessment, resource mapping, and screening – were far less common. Qualitative data indicated that where divisions had implemented these practices, they had meaningful impact.

The survey also examined evidence-based processes and practices within the multi-tiered system of supports framework, a core feature of comprehensive SBMH systems. Most divisions provided some universal mental wellness education for students at all school levels, but just 14% of divisions routinely educated all students on all six recommended topics specified in the question (school-wide expectations, bullying prevention, life skills, substance misuse, mental health literacy, and suicide awareness). For students with more significant mental health needs, 73% of divisions provided all three of the essential services – crisis, individual, and small group counseling, with crisis and individual counseling the most widely available. Many other services and supports targeting students with greater mental health needs were available in half of the divisions or fewer, however.

Gaps in SBMH systems mean that students may not receive adequate or timely support, with implications for academic outcomes, school culture, and long-term wellbeing. Through openended survey questions, respondents identified two key challenges for developing comprehensive SBMH systems: staffing and funding. SBMH service provision falls largely to school counselors. School social workers and psychologists are widely but not universally employed. The lack of trained SBMH professionals was frequently cited by respondents to explain why practices or services were not available. Although funding was not a focus of this survey, respondents frequently noted the value of prior funding investments and expressed concerns about sustainability as awards end.

Taken together, the survey findings indicate that while most divisions have established referral pathways and essential services, implementation of many core features of comprehensive SBMH systems remains inconsistent.