Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program; established, development of modules, report.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact details of the training modules and specific interventions are not fully described in the official source material.

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program

This law establishes a program to provide early childhood mental health consultation services for children aged three to five with developmental delays or behavioral issues, along with training modules and pilot programs in Virginia.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) in coordination with other departments.
• Requires DBHDS to develop developmental readiness modules for early childhood care and education programs.
• Designates three pilot regions for initial implementation of the program starting no later than January 1, 2027.
• Requires annual reports on the program's progress and outcomes from DBHDS.

Who It Names or Affects

• Families with children aged three to five who have developmental delays or behavioral issues.
• Early childhood care and education programs serving young children.
• The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health in Virginia.

Terms To Know

Developmental Delays

When a child does not reach certain milestones at the expected age, like talking or walking.

Behavioral Health Concerns

Problems with how a person acts that might need help from a mental health professional.

Limits and Unknowns

• The program will only run in three pilot regions until July 1, 2029.
• Details about the training modules and specific interventions are not fully described in this summary.

Official Summary Text

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program established; pilot programs; development of modules; report.
Establishes the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program, to be administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) in coordination with the Department of Education and the Department of Health, for the purpose of providing and expanding the accessibility of early childhood mental health consultation services, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill requires, pursuant to the Program, early childhood mental health consultation services shall be provided to families of children three through five years of age who exhibit developmental delays and behavioral health concerns and to early childhood care and education programs as enumerated in the bill. The bill requires the Department, in administering the Program, to (i) develop, or contract with community services boards to develop, and make available to early childhood care and education programs and providers developmental readiness modules, in accordance with the requirements of the bill; (ii) designate three pilot regions for initial implementation of the Program, with implementation beginning no later than January 1, 2027; and (iii) submit to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1 of each year a report on the implementation and outcomes of the Program for each pilot region selected for initial implementation. The provisions of the bill relating to initial implementation of the Program in the pilot regions shall expire on July 1, 2029.

Current Bill Text

(SB259)
AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE
EDUCATION AND HEALTH
1. Line 51, introduced, after
Strategies
strike
based on applied behavior analysis principles

EDUCATION AND HEALTH
2. Line 59, introduced, after
interventions
strike
the remainder of line 59 and through
analysis
on line 60