{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/2.2-213.5.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/2.2-213.5.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/2.2-213.5.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/2.2-213.5.html"}],"law_id":352336,"edition_id":2,"section_id":352336,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.5","catch_line":"Dissemination of information about specialized training to prevent and minimize mental health crisis","history":"2014, c. 601.","full_text":"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’ 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.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1311650,"text":"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’ 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.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":50388,"edition_id":2,"name":"Secretary of Health and Human Resources","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":6,"parent_id":50364,"metadata":{"child_laws":9,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:27:38","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:47","permalink":{"id":1398779,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50388,"identifier":"6","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50364,"edition_id":2,"name":"Governor's Secretaries","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":2,"parent_id":50328,"metadata":{"child_laws":68,"child_structures":14},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:27:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:46","permalink":{"id":1398627,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50364,"identifier":"2","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50328,"edition_id":2,"name":"Office of the Governor","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":50327,"metadata":{"child_laws":191,"child_structures":39},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:26:49","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:45","permalink":{"id":1398459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50328,"identifier":"A","token":"2.2\/I\/A","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50327,"edition_id":2,"name":"Organization of State Government","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":50326,"metadata":{"child_laws":1084,"child_structures":230},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:26:49","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:45","permalink":{"id":1398457,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50327,"identifier":"I","token":"2.2\/I","url":"\/2.2\/I\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50326,"edition_id":2,"name":"Administration of Government","identifier":"2.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":3,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1509,"child_structures":292},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:26:49","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:45","permalink":{"id":1398455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50326,"identifier":"2.2","token":"2.2","url":"\/2.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":352331,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-212","catch_line":"Position established; agencies for which responsible; additional powers","url":"\/2.2-212\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-212","metadata":false},{"id":352337,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213","catch_line":"Secretary of Health and Human Resources to develop certain criteria","url":"\/2.2-213\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213","metadata":false},{"id":352332,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.1","catch_line":"Secretary of Health and Human Resources and Commissioner of Insurance to develop long-term care public information campaign","url":"\/2.2-213.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.1","metadata":false},{"id":352333,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.2","catch_line":"Secretary to coordinate system for children with incarcerated parents","url":"\/2.2-213.2\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.2","metadata":false},{"id":352334,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.3","catch_line":"Secretary to coordinate electronic prescribing clearinghouse","url":"\/2.2-213.3\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.3","metadata":false},{"id":352335,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.4","catch_line":"Secretary of Health and Human Resources to develop blueprint for long-term services and supports","url":"\/2.2-213.4\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.4","metadata":false},{"id":352336,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.5","catch_line":"Dissemination of information about specialized training to prevent and minimize mental health crisis","url":"\/2.2-213.5\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.5","metadata":false},{"id":352341,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-214","catch_line":"Responsibility of certain agencies within the Secretariat; review of regulations","url":"\/2.2-214\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-214","metadata":false},{"id":352338,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-214.1","catch_line":"Healthy Lives Prescription Fund; nonreverting; purposes; report","url":"\/2.2-214.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-214.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":352335,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-213.4","catch_line":"Secretary of Health and Human Resources to develop blueprint for long-term services and supports","url":"\/2.2-213.4\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.4","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":352341,"structure_id":50388,"section_number":"2.2-214","catch_line":"Responsibility of certain agencies within the Secretariat; review of regulations","url":"\/2.2-214\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-214","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-213.5\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2014. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 601<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1398805,"object_type":"law","relational_id":352336,"identifier":"2.2-213.5","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.5","url":"\/2.2-213.5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-213.5\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/6\/2.2-213.5","dublin_core":{"Title":"Dissemination of information about specialized training to prevent and minimize mental health crisis","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-213.5","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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<\/span>-based strategies to prevent and minimize mental health crises in all jurisdictions<\/span>. This information shall be disseminated to, but not limited to, law<\/span>-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<\/span>-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’ 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.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO PREVENT AND MINIMIZE\nMENTAL HEALTH CRISIS (\u00a7 2.2-213.5)\n\nThe Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Public Safety\nand Homeland Security shall encourage the dissemination of information about\nspecialized training in evidence-based strategies to prevent and minimize mental\nhealth crises in all jurisdictions. This information shall be disseminated to,\nbut not limited to, law-enforcement personnel, other first responders, hospital\nemergency department personnel, school personnel, and other interested parties,\nto the extent possible. These strategies shall include (i) crisis intervention\nteam (CIT) training for law-enforcement personnel and other first responders as\ndesignated by the community CIT task force and (ii) mental health first aid\ntraining for other first responders, hospital emergency department personnel,\nschool personnel, and other interested parties. The Secretary of Health and\nHuman Resources and the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security shall\nencourage adherence to the models of training and achievement of programmatic\ngoals and standards. The goals for CIT training shall include (i) training\nparticipants to recognize the signs and symptoms of behavioral health disorders;\n(ii) teaching participants the skills necessary to de-escalate crisis situations\nand how to support individuals in crisis; (iii) educating participants about\ncommunity-based resources available to individuals in crisis; and (iv) enhancing\nparticipants’ ability to communicate with health systems about the nature\nof the crisis to include rules regarding confidentiality and protected health\ninformation. The goals for mental health first aid training shall be to teach\nthe public (to include first responders, school personnel, and other interested\nparties) how to recognize symptoms of mental health problems, how to offer and\nprovide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate treatments\nand other supportive help.\n\nHISTORY: 2014, c. 601.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}