2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 157
Commending Nelson Smith.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
WHEREAS, Nelson Smith, a respected public servant and a leader in behavioral health and developmental services, concluded his service to the Commonwealth after a distinguished tenure dedicated to improving care for individuals, families, and communities; and
WHEREAS, Nelson Smith most recently served as commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, having been appointed to that role by the governor in 2022, and provided continuity, strategic leadership, and vision during a period of significant transformation in Virginia's behavioral health system; and
WHEREAS, under Nelson Smith's leadership, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in partnership with the Behavioral Health Commission, community services boards, providers, advocates, and families, played a critical role in advancing access to high-quality behavioral health, developmental, and substance use disorder services across the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, throughout his tenure, Nelson Smith worked closely with members of the General Assembly, particularly through sustained engagement with the Behavioral Health Commission, to provide transparent information, data-driven analysis, and thoughtful policy guidance in support of legislative oversight, system accountability, and meaningful reform; and
WHEREAS, Nelson Smith strengthened the crisis response system in the Commonwealth by helping to establish the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and expanding mobile crisis services and crisis centers, ensuring that Virginians experiencing behavioral health crises receive help when and where it is needed and avoid hospitalizations whenever possible; and