                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO PREVENT AND MINIMIZE
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS (§ 2.2-213.5)

The Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Public Safety
and Homeland Security shall encourage the dissemination of information about
specialized training in evidence-based strategies to prevent and minimize mental
health crises in all jurisdictions. This information shall be disseminated to,
but not limited to, law-enforcement personnel, other first responders, hospital
emergency department personnel, school personnel, and other interested parties,
to the extent possible. These strategies shall include (i) crisis intervention
team (CIT) training for law-enforcement personnel and other first responders as
designated by the community CIT task force and (ii) mental health first aid
training for other first responders, hospital emergency department personnel,
school personnel, and other interested parties. The Secretary of Health and
Human Resources and the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security shall
encourage adherence to the models of training and achievement of programmatic
goals and standards. The goals for CIT training shall include (i) training
participants to recognize the signs and symptoms of behavioral health disorders;
(ii) teaching participants the skills necessary to de-escalate crisis situations
and how to support individuals in crisis; (iii) educating participants about
community-based resources available to individuals in crisis; and (iv) enhancing
participants&#8217; ability to communicate with health systems about the nature
of the crisis to include rules regarding confidentiality and protected health
information. The goals for mental health first aid training shall be to teach
the public (to include first responders, school personnel, and other interested
parties) how to recognize symptoms of mental health problems, how to offer and
provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate treatments
and other supportive help.

HISTORY: 2014, c. 601.