The petitioner requests that the Board amend 18VAC140-20-150 to include a new subsection which would require (a) up to three transitional sessions, delivered in person or via synchronous telehealth, to be performed that shall not be less than 45 minutes; (b) a written referral list of at least three outpatient providers that the licensee has confirmed are accepting new clients as a written crisis-response plan that includes 24/7 resources and instructions for emergency care; and (c) at the client's request, the licensee shall make one good-faith contact with the client's new therapist to provide a summary of care and current risk factors, consistent with confidentiality requirements. 

The petition for rulemaking will be published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on August 25, 2025. The petition will also be published on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall at www.townhall.virginia.gov to receive public comment, which will open on August 25, 2025 and will close on September 15, 2025. The Board will consider the petition and all comments in support or opposition at the next meeting after the close of public comment, currently scheduled for September 26th, 2025. The petitioner will be notified of the Board’s decision after that meeting. 

At its September 26, 2025 meeting, the Board voted to take no action on the petition. The Board felt that the petition is too limiting and not generalizable across all treatment termination processes.