Twitter: vakids

Blog Category: Children’s Mental Health

group of teens walking in high school

Bill and Budget Explainer: School-based Mental Health Services

Virginia is poised to make significant progress in children’s mental health during the 2023 legislative session. Virginia ranked as 48th in Youth Mental Health access according to Mental Health America…

Continue Reading

Prioritizing Youth Mental Health Requires Intention and Investment

Whether you are a young person, a parent, a mental health professional, or an educator, you have likely heard about the youth mental health crisis in the United States—it is…

Continue Reading
young people talking together in circle

Improving Medicaid Reimbursement for Children’s Mental Health Services

Nearly half of Virginia’s children are enrolled in Medicaid for their health insurance coverage. To ensure that these young people have access to mental health providers, and for those providers…

Continue Reading
teen using phone

9-8-8 is Just One Step Towards a Comprehensive Crisis Services System

This blog is the second post in a two-part series that takes a deeper look into Virginia’s efforts to integrate the 9-8-8 hotline with the behavioral health crisis services continuum….

Continue Reading
teen appearing stressed while talking with adult

Impact of Burnout on Transitional Aged Youth

This post was written by former Voices intern Abby Aquije. Between a rigorous academic schedule, part-time job, and extracurriculars, my high-school self often had 12+ hour days. Just thinking about…

Continue Reading
teens meeting together

Youth Mental Health Crisis

Written by Voices’ intern Abby Aquije Increasing mental health resources and access to behavioral health services is a necessary step to mend our youth mental health crisis. If we are truly…

Continue Reading
teen making a phone call

How the 988 Hotline Can Break Down Systemic Barriers to Health Care

This blog is the first of two posts that will take a deeper look into Virginia’s efforts to integrate the 988 hotline with the behavioral health crisis services continuum. **This…

Continue Reading
teens in group discussion

General Assembly 2022: Mental Health Wrap-Up

The momentum was in place for children’s mental health in Virginia. The US Surgeon General and key advocates declared a national emergency to confront a decade-long decline in children’s mental…

Continue Reading

Improving Family Economic Security Reduces Child Maltreatment

Guest Post by Jamia “Mia” Crockett, Chief Executive Officer of Families Forward Virginia Families Forward Virginia, in partnership with the Division of Family Services at Virginia Department of Social Services…

Continue Reading

2022 Youth Advocacy Cohort Application

Voices for Virginia’s Children is establishing a small cohort of youth advocates, comprised of young change makers, to join us for Advocacy Days at the General Assembly in January 2022….

Continue Reading