Virginia Partnership for School Mental Health (VPSMH)
What We Do
The primary aims of the partnership are to work alongside school districts to expand support for school mental health services. The partnership accomplishes these goals by providing professional development, tele-mentoring, and research support to school districts in Virginia. In doing so, the partnership hopes to increase the number of school mental health professionals who provide evidence-based services in Virginia.
Project Information
Funders: U.S. Department of Education in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education.
The Virginia Partnership for School Mental Health (VPSMH) is a statewide partnership between the Virginia Department of Education, the University of Virginia, school divisions, and university training programs across the Commonwealth.
Current Project Activities
The primary aims of the VPSMH are to increase school mental health services by building a pipeline of graduate student trainees to high-need school divisions and to create an interprofessional network of school mental health providers.
This is accomplished by creating high quality training opportunities for graduate students in school counseling, school social work, school psychology, and school nursing, including pairing graduate student trainees with supervisors in nearby school divisions. In addition, VPSMH provides professional development activities for currently practicing school mental health professionals from partner divisions. These activities include tele-mentoring opportunities in addition to asynchronous, web-based modules that cover topics such as evidence-based mental health interventions, supervision of graduate student trainees, and interprofessional collaboration and advocacy. The partnership also works with school districts to produce new knowledge related to effective support and provision of school mental health services.
VPSMH In the News
- UVA Leads Virginia's New Plan to Improve Mental Health in K-12 Schools, UVA Today
- UVA Leads Virginia's New Plan to Improve Mental Health in K-12 Schools, CBS19 News
- Staunton, Waynesboro Schools Hope State Mental Health Grant Will 'Fill in the Gaps', News Leader
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Project Team
Courtney Framel
- Education and Outreach Manager
Natoya Hill Haskins
- Associate Professor
- Counselor Education Program Co-Director
Michael Lyons
- Associate Professor
- Clinical & School Psychology Program Director
Julia Taylor
- Associate Professor
Faith A. Zabek
- Research Assistant Professor
Katy Zeanah
- Interim Degree Coordinator, Ed.S. in School Psychology Program
- School Mental Health Outreach Manager
- Clinical & School Psychologist; Clinical Supervisor
VPSMH News
Bridging the Research to Practice Gap in School Counseling
UVA students studying to become school counselors are learning how to translate research into practitioner-focused briefs, building their own skills and benefiting counselors already in schools.