Virginia: State committee calls for more counseling services in schools

July 16, 2018, WVTF Radio, Roanoke, VA: Could More Mental Health Counseling Improve School Safety? http://wvtf.org/post/could-more-mental-health-counseling-improve-school-safety …Virginia schools need more mental health counselors. That is one of the conclusions of a select committee assembled in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. … One way to accomplish this goal is to lift a cap on support staff in Virginia schools, a recession-era restriction that was created at a time when people were concerned that teachers were being crowded out by the growing ranks of support staff. Republican House Speaker Kirk Cox says mental health counselors should also be able to focus on counseling instead of administrative duties. …