Building Virginia’s School Mental Health Workforce Through Integrated Digital Solutions

For five years, CIEES has partnered with the Virginia Department of Education to create the Career and Learning Center, a comprehensive digital ecosystem—addressing critical shortages of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists through innovative recruitment and retention strategies that have become a national model.

Challenge 1

Shortage in school-based mental health professionals

Challenge 2

Fragmented recruitment, retention, and licensure pathways

Challenge 3

Need for a cohesive, statewide workforce strategy

Hero banner for the Virginia School Mental Health Career and Learning Center

Our Multifaceted Solution

CIEES has served as VDOE’s strategic advisor and project management partner, orchestrating a comprehensive approach that addresses every aspect of the professional lifecycle—from recruitment through retention and advancement.

Recruitment: Making Virginia the Destination

We created multiple entry points for prospective professionals.

Career Center – Managed content development for a centralized job board featuring 500+ positions with role-specific information, showcasing why Virginia cities and towns are great places to work
Credential Hotspot – Developed secure login system enabling school mental health professionals from featured school divisions to access specialized learning modules and earn digital badges and certificates through comprehensive assessments
Division Spotlight Videos – Managed production of promotional videos highlighting featured school divisions, showcasing their unique strengths and why they represent exceptional career opportunities for educators in Virginia
Social Media Presence – Oversaw an independent social media strategy promoting opportunities and success stories across platforms
Targeted Outreach – Refined messaging to reach qualified candidates, resulting in 63% growth in social media referrals

Retention: Supporting Professional Growth and Community

We designed comprehensive support systems that keep professionals engaged and growing.

200+ Learning Modules – Provided instructional design expertise and content refinement for video-based professional development aligned to adult learning principles, including accessibility testing to ensure compliance with federal standards for educational content
Credential Hotspot – Managed development of badge and certificate programs for high-need school divisions, creating tangible recognition for skill development
Resource Libraries – Curated role-specific and topic-specific resources, constantly updated to address emerging needs
Community Building – Supported features that reduce professional isolation and create peer connections

Impact & Sustainability: Proving Value, Ensuring Future

We built systems to demonstrate success and plan for longevity.

Data-Driven Improvements – Guided comprehensive website assessments using focus groups and heat mapping to inform site enhancements
Impact Dashboards – Developed two distinct data visualization pages: one showcasing website metrics, another demonstrating grant impact on recruitment and retention
Sustainability Planning – Currently supporting long-term funding strategies to maintain the platform beyond federal grant period

Throughout this continuous evolution, CIEES has provided consistent project and budget management, ensuring every element—from individual video scripts to comprehensive data dashboards—serves the dual mission of recruitment and retention.

View Project

549% increase in website traffic reaching 10,500+ mental health professionals statewide

6,800+ professional development certificates awarded through 200+ learning modules

92.9% retention rate for mental health professionals in targeted school divisions

36.7% reduction in student-to-provider ratios - directly improving student access to support

500+ mental health positions featured on Virginia's only centralized SMHP job board

72% credit the site with helping them find positions in Virginia schools

The platform has become more than a recruitment tool—it’s a comprehensive professional home for Virginia’s school mental health workforce. Other states now look to Virginia’s model as they develop their own workforce strategies.
Looking ahead, CIEES continues to support enhancements including potential statewide expansion of the job board and sustainable funding models to ensure this critical infrastructure continues beyond federal grant funding.

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