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2017 SESSION
17100788DBe it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 23.1-802 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 23.1-802. Student mental health; policies; website resource.
A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education
shall develop and implement policies [ , consistent
with Council guidelines ] , that (i) advise
students, faculty, and staff, including residence hall staff, of the proper
procedures for identifying and addressing the needs of students exhibiting
suicidal tendencies or behavior and (ii) provide for training where
appropriate. Such policies shall require procedures for notifying the
institution's student health or counseling center for the purposes set forth in
subdivision B 4 of § 23.1-1303 when a student exhibits suicidal tendencies or
behavior. In addition, such policies shall ensure that after a [ student-death-related
crisis student suicide
] affected students have access to necessary medical and behavioral
health services, including postvention services. For the purposes of this
subsection, "postvention services" means services designed to
facilitate the grieving or adjustment process, stabilize the environment,
reduce the risk of negative behaviors, and prevent suicide contagion.
B. The board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall establish a written memorandum of understanding with its local community services board or behavioral health authority and with local hospitals and other local mental health facilities in order to expand the scope of services available to students seeking treatment. The memorandum shall designate a contact person to be notified, to the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, when a student is involuntarily committed, or when a student is discharged from a facility. The memorandum shall provide for the inclusion of the institution in the post-discharge planning of a student who has been committed and intends to return to campus, to the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws.
C. Each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall create and feature on its website a page with information dedicated solely to the mental health resources available to students at the institution.
[ D. The Council shall develop guidelines for the
development and implementation of the mental health policies required by
subsection A. The Council shall, at least once every four years, review the
policy of each public institution of higher education to ensure such policies
are consistent with such guidelines. ]