A project from the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute’s Virginia Executive Institute (VEI) Fall 2024 Cohort shaped legislation now taking effect across the Commonwealth, expanding access to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for both educators and students.
In the Fall 2024 VEI program, six leaders representing six different state agencies collaborated to tackle a critical issue affecting youth in Virginia: mental health. Their capstone project, "Improving Student Wellbeing Through Mental Health First Aid Training," presented compelling research and actionable recommendations to expand Mental Health First Aid training, creating safer and more supportive school environments. Read the full presentation.
VEI Fall 2024, Mental Health Team:
- Scott Booker - Audit Director, Auditor of Public Accounts
- Vickie B. Carter - Director of Operations - Western Region, Virginia Department of Social Services, Division of Child Support Enforcement
- Donna Cox - Director of Education and Library Services, Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired
- Brookie Crawford - Risk Communications Manager, Virginia Department of Health
- Richard Doucette - Regional Director - Northern Office, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
- Corie E. Tillman Wolf - Executive Director, Virginia Boards of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, Long Term Care Administrators, and Physical Therapy
The team's work did not end with their VEI graduation. Their findings and advocacy were shared with key policymakers, influencing a broader conversation already underway at the General Assembly. In effect, as of July 1, 2025, new legislation increases access to Mental Health First Aid training throughout Virginia’s schools for students, in addition to existing programming for educators and school staff. This milestone legislation underscores the essential need to equip young people with the tools to support themselves and their peers, fostering long-term mental wellness.
“VEI is designed to cultivate exactly this type of impact,” said Nancy Calkins, Senior Consultant and Training Facilitator at the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute. “We bring leaders together to solve real problems, and when their brainpower and collaboration result in legislative change, it is a powerful reminder of how leadership education and public service intersect.”
This VEI project exemplifies the Institute’s mission: empowering leaders across agencies to innovate, connect, and drive solutions for the greater good of Virginia’s citizens. As this legislation takes effect, lives will be changed for the better across the Commonwealth as thousands of students benefit from the work and partnership forged in a leadership classroom.
The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute offers congratulations to this group and its efforts to change the Commonwealth. Scott, Vickie, Donna, Brookie, Richard, and Corie, we are so proud of your remarkable effort, and thank you for making a direct and positive impact on Virginians!
About the Virginia Executive Institute
The Virginia Executive Institute is a two-week program that provides a dynamic forum for leaders to join an impressive network of state executives who have committed to developing their leadership strengths and becoming change agents for Virginia's future. The culminating activity of VEI is the opportunity to discuss and address real issues being encountered by state government. Each participant works in a small group to address a critical problem facing the Commonwealth, generates a solution, and presents that solution through a leadership challenge at the VEI graduation held at the Capitol.
For more information about the Virginia Executive Institute or upcoming cohorts, visit https://gehli.vcu.edu/trainings-and-institutes/virginia-executive-institute-vei/.