Collegiate Times

Correction: This story has been modified from its original version. — Correction: In the original version of this story Cook Counseling Center was spelled "Cooke Counseling Center ." The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

Yesterday a bill was approved unanimously by the Virginia House education committee that will greatly affect the mental health notification process on college and university campuses if accepted by the full House of Delegates.

The legislation HB 1005 would require university mental health centers to notify the parents of students who have received mental health treatment if school officials find the student to be a danger to themselves or others.

The new legislation mandates that all state schools create a plan of notification of the parents of a student in case that person is determined to be capable of hurting themselves or others in the near future. The bill comes on the heels of new legislation regarding involuntary commitment.

The new policies seek to lower the qualification for involuntary hospitalization from "imminent danger" to just if there is considered a "substantial likelihood" a person is physically dangerous.

The HB 1005 would only apply to dependent students, who are listed as a dependent on their parent's income taxes, said to Christopher Flynn, director of Cook Counseling Center.

If the bill passes, "the parents of a dependent student could be notified if there is a likelihood the student could be a danger to themselves or others," Flynn said.

The bill went through several revisions before it was finalized. Tech has not commented in support or opposition of the bill thus far, but health centers such as Cook were given the opportunity to make suggestions about HB 1005. One such suggestion was put into place before the bill was approved by the House committee.

"The notification can be withheld if we make the decision that notifying the parents would endanger the student or cause problems with the student. (In that case) we don't have to notify the parents," Flynn said.

"The bill doesn't change (Cook's) practices much ... the student has to be a danger to themselves or others, and that's a very extreme circumstance," Flynn said. "In that case, we're obliged to make sure the student is OK."

Flynn also said that students should not be discouraged from seeking aid at the counseling center out of concern that their visit will be relayed to their parents.

"We still protect the confidentiality of students, only in extreme cases will we have to notify parents. We want to reassure students that we are not going to change our policy and notify parents when students come in for counseling."

The bill is one part of a group of legislation regarding mental health in Virginia that is largely modeled in response to the April shootings at Tech, and is currently being passed through the General Assembly.

Virginia Delegate Robert Bell, the sponsor of the bill, was not available for comment Monday.