Collection of Evidence-based Practices for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Treatment Needs
The 2003 General Assembly passed Senate Joint Resolution 358 (Houck) directing the Commission on Youth to revise the Collection of Evidence-based Practices for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Treatment Needs (“The Collection”) biennially. The resolution instructs the Commission to seek assistance from an Advisory Group, Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Secretary of Public Safety, and Secretary of Education in posting, maintaining, and biennially updating The Collection. In addition, the Commission shall make The Collection available through web technologies and develop a cost-effective and efficient dissemination method to allow for easy access.
Discharge Planning from Inpatient Treatment to a Public School
The Commission on Youth shall review current discharge planning sharing options in Virginia between inpatient facilities and elementary and secondary public schools. The Commission shall consider Senate Bill 1143 (Obenshain) and the concepts it addresses and make recommendations for the 2026 Session of the General Assembly.
Review of Virginia's Special Education Dispute Resolution System
The General Assembly and the Governor approved Senate Bill 220 (Favola) and House Bill 1089 (Coyner) introduced during the 2024 Session. The legislation’s tenth enactment clause directs:
That the Virginia Commission on Youth (the Commission) shall study and make recommendations on Virginia's special education dispute resolution system. In conducting such study, the Commission shall (i) consider the entire special education dispute resolution system in the Commonwealth, including the parent ombudsman for special education, mediation, complaints, and due process; (ii) review the effectiveness of such system in responding to the concerns of parents, analyze such system in comparison to best practices from other states, and make actionable recommendations for improvement, including regulatory, statutory, staffing, and budgetary modifications; and (iii) specifically review and make recommendations to improve the Department of Education's system for collecting, tracking, analyzing, and publicly reporting data on parent interactions with such system and the outcomes of such interactions. The Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2025.
Office of the Children's Ombudsman Relief of Custody Work Group
The 2025 General Assembly passed and the Governor approved Senate Bill 1372 (Suetterlein) and House Bill 1733 (Cole) which included a third enactment clause directing the Office of the Children's Ombudsman to convene a work group to determine the factors a court should consider for good cause shown to grant a petitioner's petition for relief of care and custody of a child.
The Commission on Youth shall participate in the Office of Children’s Ombudsman work group on the factors the court uses in evaluating a relief of custody petition. The Commission shall also receive a report of the work group's findings and recommendations before the 2026 General Assembly Session.
The Commission on Youth shall receive a presentation from the Behavioral Health Commission on their 2023 report “Maximizing school-based mental health services.” Further, the Commission shall receive and review any findings and recommendations made by the Department of Education from their survey of local education agencies on school-based mental and behavioral health services as directed by the 2025 General Assembly Session.
