§ 22.1-272.1 Responsibility to contact parent of student at imminent risk of suicide; notice to be given to social services if parental abuse or neglect; Board of Education to develop guidelines for parental contact
A. Any person licensed as administrative or instructional personnel by the Board of Education and employed by a local school board who in the scope of his employment has reason to believe, as a result of direct communication from a student, that such student is at imminent risk of suicide shall, as soon as practicable, (i) contact at least one of such student’s parents to ask whether such parent is aware of the student’s mental state and whether the parent wishes to obtain or has already obtained counseling for such student and (ii) provide to the parent materials on suicide prevention that shall include information on the legal requirements set forth in § 18.2-56.2 relating to the safe storage of firearms in the presence of minors and that may include guidance on best practices and strategies for limiting a student’s access to lethal means, including firearms and medications. Such contact shall be made and any materials on suicide prevention provided shall be selected in accordance with the provisions of the guidelines required by subsection C.
B. If the student has indicated that the reason for being at imminent risk of suicide relates to parental abuse or neglect, this contact shall not be made with the parent. Instead, the person shall, as soon as practicable, notify the local department of social services of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred or the state Department of Social Services’ toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline, as required by § 63.2-1509. When giving this notice to the local or state department, the person shall stress the need to take immediate action to protect the child from harm.
C. The Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Health, shall develop guidelines for making the contact required by subsection A. These guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, (i) criteria to assess the suicide risks of students; (ii) characteristics to identify potentially suicidal students; (iii) appropriate responses to students expressing suicidal intentions; (iv) available and appropriate community services for students expressing suicidal intentions; (v) suicide prevention strategies that may be implemented by local schools for students expressing suicidal intentions; (vi) criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students expressing suicidal intentions; (vii) criteria for as-soon-as-practicable contact with the parents; (viii) criteria for selecting materials on suicide prevention, including those relating to safe firearm storage and best practices and strategies for limiting a student’s access to lethal means, to be provided to the parent of any student expressing suicidal intentions, including materials that have been pre-approved for such use by the Board; (ix) appropriate sensitivity to religious beliefs; and (x) legal requirements and criteria for notification of public service agencies, including, but not limited to, the local or state social services and mental health agencies. These guidelines may include case studies and problem-solving exercises and may be designed as materials for in-service training programs for licensed administrative and instructional personnel.
History
This law was first created in 1999. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 425 of that year’s edition of “Acts of Assembly,” the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by “The Acts of Assembly,” a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly’s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2009, chapters 813 and 840; in 2025, chapter 525.
1999, c. 425; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2025, c. 525.