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School Counseling Leaders and Educators Updates
School Counseling Leaders and Educators Updates
REVIEW THE FOLLOWING UPDATES & RESOURCES
Mental Health Awareness Training for School Staff | Virginia Department of Education
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school staff mental health awareness trainings must meet new requirements. Pursuant to the Code of Virginia §22.1-298.6, local school boards must ensure the required school staff mental health awareness training addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders in accordance with evidence-based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association. This includes youth who are bereaved by suicide; have mental or physical disabilities or chronic health conditions, including substance use disorders; are experiencing homelessness or housing instability; are in foster care or other situations that may result in instability in a youth’s custodial or living situation; or identify as LGBTQ+.
To assist school divisions in reviewing training that aligns with new code requirements, VDOE has developed a Mental Health Awareness Training Rubric. Additional information and a list of reviewed trainings are available on the VDOE Mental Health Awareness Training for School Staff web page.
This is not a comprehensive list of VDOE Updates; they were selected as potentially relevant to the important work you do! To view all the VDOE Updates, visit the VDOE Website.
SAT School Day Support for 2026-27 (House Bill 410) – Webinar August 12
Homebound Instruction Services Data Reporting – Due September 18
Behavior Code Update for Student Behavior and Administrative Response (SBAR)
Tuition Assistance Opportunity for Dual Enrollment and High-Demand Credential Courses
Request for School Divisions’ Disciplinary Policies on Cell Phone Use
Military Families Evacuated from Bahrain: Safe Haven Status Update
Call for Participants: Resilience Research in School Counseling
Below is an opportunity to participate in a research study to help advance the school counseling profession. Participating in school counseling research is a valuable way to impact the field. By sharing your insights and experiences, you directly contribute to developing the knowledge base that could shape best practices and policy for years to come. Please consider participating and/or sharing with your school counselors!
The purpose of this study is to explore school counselors' experiences around resilience and how those experiences impact their work in school counseling. More specifically, we are interested in learning more about this work within fringe communities. Any area located within approximately 10 miles of an urban center will be considered a fringe community. Learn more and express your interest here!
The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education One-Pager Resources Now Available
The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education One-Pager Resources Now Available
The Virginia Department of Education has created five new one-pager documents to accompany The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education. These resources are meant to assist families with understanding five components of special education regulations and processes, including:
New Resources for Families of Students with Disabilities from the VDOE
New Resources for Families of Students with Disabilities from the VDOE
The VDOE has released three new resources created by the Family Engagement Network (FEN), through a grant provided by the Virginia Department of Education and managed by the Center for Family Involvement at the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Transition Across the Grade Span: From Pre-K to Post-Grad is a resource that helps families plan for their child's future, from early childhood through adulthood, by addressing skills in four key areas of transition planning.
The Keys to Academic Success: Critical Decision Points in Early Childhood Companion assists families with helping their young child with a disability or developmental delay receive the best possible preschool education.
Promoting Mental Wellness for Students with Disabilities in Cell Phone-Free Schools: Guidance and Resources offers resources for families available through the Virginia Department of Education to support cell phone-free schools by providing guidance for addressing the unique needs of students with disabilities, including considerations for assistive technology and exemptions.
Special Education Parent Involvement Survey for the 2025-26 School Year
Special Education Parent Involvement Survey for the 2025-26 School Year
All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are requested to complete the VDOE annual Special Education Parent Involvement Survey.
This survey will remain open through December 11, 2026. Please complete one survey for each of your children currently receiving special education services during the 2025-26 school year.
If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Dr. Chiquita Seaborne, Family Engagement Specialist/Special Projects Coordinator, via email at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov, or via telephone at (804) 418-4672.
Printable version of the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey - English
Printable version of the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey - Spanish
Printable version of the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey-Amharic
Printable version of the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey-Arabic
Printable version of the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey-Urdu
Printable version of the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey-Vietnamese
Accreditation/School Counselor Staff Time
School Counselor Activity Rating Scale Tool
Advocacy & Awareness Tools for 80/20
Time Tracking Tool & Webinar
Virginia Specific Sample Time Tracking Tool
This is one way to setup a system that codes counselor time in alignment with the activities named in state code. In short, this system allows counselors to use their current calendar (google, outlook, paper journal, etc.) as part of their time tracking process. Create codes for each activity defined by code and have counselors use those when adding activities to their daily calendar. On a day that is a designated time tracking day- counselors will go back to their calendar, total their time for each category/activity and input the time spent doing each activity into an excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet linked in this resource was created to align with the new legislation and automatically generates graphs to illustrate how time is being spent!
MORE TIME TRACKING TOOLS AND PDS TO CONSIDER
Cooperative for Effective Behavior Intervention and Supports
Cooperative for Effective Behavior Intervention and Supports
The Cooperative for Effective Behavior Intervention and Supports (CEBIS) promotes the use of systematic, research-based practices to ensure high-quality behavior intervention and supports for educators across Virginia.
Using Functional Behavioral Assessments To Create Supportive Learning Environments
The VDOE Department of Special Populations and Board Operations has released its updated Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans: Guidelines for Effective Development and Implementation. This document has been updated based on guidance from the United States Department of Education. These guidelines also replace the 2015 version and aim to assist Virginia school divisions in implementing effective functional behavior assessment (FBA) and behavior intervention plan (BIP) processes to promote positive behavior, academic success, and overall student well-being and ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan: Guidelines for Effective Development and Implementation Module Series is a six-part series developed to expand on these guidelines to further support educators about function-based supports, including the use of FBAs and BIPs.
The guidelines are designed to provide Virginia school divisions with practical recommendations and best practices for conducting FBAs and developing BIPs; however, it is not a comprehensive summary or a detailed framework for conducting an FBA or developing a BIP. School divisions should review and revise their existing local policies and procedures, as needed, to ensure consistent practices are in place to promote improved social and academic outcomes.
Companion Resource: Discipline and Students with Disabilities
The Discipline and Students with Disabilities video supplements the information found in The Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education. This concise and engaging video is designed to help families better understand the discipline process while being engaged in their child's education.
Resources from the U.S. Department of Education Will Help School Communities Address the Needs of Students with Mental Health Disabilities
The Office for Civil Rights has issued four new resources for schools, stakeholders, students with disabilities, and their families. These documents outline the rights of students with mental health disabilities and the responsibilities of elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and specifically address students with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or bipolar disorder.
Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Anxiety Disorders
Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Depression
Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Eating Disorders
Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Bipolar Disorder
The fact sheets remind schools of the obligation to treat a student with a mental health disability as they must treat any other student with a disability: free from discrimination, and the obligation to provide students with mental health disabilities with the modifications, supports, and services the students need to have equal access to their education. These new resources are part of a larger series on specific medical conditions, which thus far includes fact sheets on diabetes, GER/GERD, food allergies, asthma, cancer, sickle cell disease, and epilepsy.
New One-Pager Resource for Families of Students with Disabilities
New One-Pager Resource for Families of Students with Disabilities
The Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE's) Department of Special Populations has recently released Understanding the Special Permission Locally Awarded Verified Credit (SPLAVC) Accommodation for Students with Disabilities one-pager resource for families.
Special Education Evaluation Process Video Guide
The Video Guide to the Special Education Evaluation Process for Families provides additional guidance to support accurate and consistent eligibility determinations and access to special education services across school divisions.
For questions regarding these video modules, please contact Bonnie English, Specialist-Related Services, Evaluation and Eligibility, at (804) 750-8181 or Bonnie.English@doe.virginia.gov; or Dr. Zenia Burnett, Director of Instructional Services, at (804) 750-8666 or Zenia.Burnett@doe.virginia.gov. For general inquiries, email spedinstruction@doe.virginia.gov.
These video modules will provide parents, families, and other stakeholders with a brief but comprehensive overview of the special education process on the following topics:
Each module is designed to be viewed as a stand-alone resource or viewed in succession.
New Resource for Families of Students with Disabilities
New Resource for Families of Students with Disabilities
A Facilitated Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting is a voluntary process that may be requested when the IEP Team agrees that the presence of a neutral third party would assist in facilitating communication and problem-solving.
The VDOE's Facilitated IEP Resource Document provides you with valuable information about this process and includes a link to download a request form for this service.
VDOE - VCCS Course Pairings for Dual Enrollment Coordinators, Instructors, and Administrators
NEW Dual Enrollment Advising Toolkit for Transfer Courses_Table of Contents - DRAFT/COMING SOON
As high schools and their partner colleges develop dual enrollment plans, special attention should be paid to the transferability of the courses selected, the application of those credits to the students’ future plans, and the overall purpose of students earning college credits.
Students should be encouraged to explore areas of interest and to open doors for future study through dual enrollment course offerings. Attention to the depth and quality of learning is important in preparing students to enter into a cohort of students.
The Transfer Virginia (TVA) Dual Enrollment Guides provide in-depth information for staff and students to consider when having discussions and making decisions related to transfer level dual enrollment.
This document and more can be found in the Transfer VA Documents Folder.
CHECK THIS OUT!!!!
CHECK THIS OUT!!!!
We encourage you to utilize the resources in the Learning Center located on VDOE's OBHW VA Career and Learning Center for MH Professionals Website.
SEARCH TOPICS LIKE
SEARCH TOPICS LIKE
Depression/Anxiety. Resilience . SEL . Suicide Prevention . Trauma AND MORE!
Depression/Anxiety. Resilience . SEL . Suicide Prevention . Trauma AND MORE!
Suicide Prevention Resources
Suicide Prevention Resources
VDOE Suicide Prevention Webpage - Schools can play a key role in suicide prevention. The task of all professionals involved in and dedicated to the education of children is to help prevent death by suicide whenever possible. When school personnel, families, and communities take an active role in suicide prevention lives can be saved.
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