Qualified Mental Health Professionals

Definitions:

"Qualified mental health professional" means a person who has (i) completed, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree; (ii) registered with the Board to practice in accordance with the provisions of § 54.1-3520 and the regulations of the Board; and (iii) a combination of work, training, or experience in providing collaborative behavioral health services for youth or adults. A "qualified mental health professional" includes a qualified mental health professional-adult and qualified mental health professional-child. A "qualified mental health professional" shall provide such services as an employee or independent contractor of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Education or a provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

"Qualified mental health professional-trainee" means a person who is receiving supervised training to qualify as a qualified mental health professional in accordance with the provisions of § 54.1-3521 and is registered with the Board. A "qualified mental health professional-trainee" shall provide such services as an employee or independent contractor of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Education or a provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

Scope of Practice:

QMHP Scope of Practice as outlined in § 54.1-3520

A qualified mental health professional shall be qualified to perform, under Board-approved supervision, collaborative behavioral health services, including the supportive functions of (i) screening; (ii) intake; (iii) orientation; (iv) care coordination; (v) client education; (vi) referral activities; (vii) initiating crisis de-escalation; (viii) gathering histories of mental and physical health conditions, alcohol and drug use, past mental health treatment, and interactions with the criminal justice system; (ix) providing psychosocial skills development; (x) implementing interventions as assigned on individual plans of care and documenting the interventions for the purposes of recordkeeping; and (xi) prevention of mental health and substance use disorders. A registered qualified mental health professional shall not engage in independent or autonomous practice and shall only perform collaborative behavioral health services.

QMHP-Trainee Scope of Practice as outlined in § 54.1-3521

A qualified mental health professional-trainee shall be qualified to perform, under Board approved supervision, collaborative behavioral health services, including the supportive functions of (i) screening; (ii) intake; (iii) orientation; (iv) care coordination; (v) client education; (vi) referral activities; (vii) initiating crisis de-escalation; (viii) gathering histories of mental and physical health conditions, alcohol and drug use, past mental health treatment, and interactions with the criminal justice system; (ix) providing psychosocial skills development; (x) implementing interventions as assigned on individual plans of care and documenting the interventions for the purposes of recordkeeping; and (xi) prevention of mental health and substance use disorders. A registered qualified mental health professional-trainee shall not engage in independent or autonomous practice and shall only perform collaborative behavioral health services.

NEW Regulatory Changes: (Effective May 7, 2025)

Changes to the QMHP regulations are pursuant to SB403 of the 2024 General Assembly.

Combined Credential: The separate QMHP-A (Adult) and QMHP-C (Child) designations will be replaced by a single QMHP registration.
Education Requirements: Updated criteria for QMHP and QMHP-Trainee education.
Didactic Training: Required completion of didactic training before approval.
Trainee Registration Renewal: QMHP-Trainee registrations must be renewed annually.
Supervised Experience: Reduced to 1,500 hours for those without a human services or special education degree.
Supervision Eligibility: QMHPs with 3+ years of experience may supervise Trainees after completing supervisor training.
Supervisor Training: Mandatory for all QMHP supervisors.
Key Changes PowerPoint Summary

Important Information:

Applications submitted on or after May 7, 2025, must meet the new requirements.
Current QMHP-Trainees and applicants with pending applications should review the new FAQ document.