SB 596,
as amended, Yee. begin deleteCalifornia Health and Human Services Agency. end deletebegin insertPupil health: school-based mental health services.end insert
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and provides for the establishment of school districts and other local educational agencies to operate these schools and provide instruction to pupils. Under existing law, the Superintendent of Public Instruction is required, among his or her other duties, to serve as the chief executive officer of the State Department of Education.
end insertbegin insertThis bill would require, to the extent that nonstate funds are received, the Superintendent to establish a pilot program pursuant to which the State Department of Education and relevant state and local partners would assist school districts in their efforts to establish or enhance mental health services and support for pupils at public elementary and secondary schoolsites. The bill would specify that these services may include, but are not necessarily limited to, screenings, assessments, evaluations, interventions, and treatment. The bill would specify the primary goals of the pilot program, which would include the facilitation of the coordination of school staff, as defined, school districts, county mental health departments, and community-based organizations in establishing or enhancing school-based mental health services.
end insertExisting law creates the California Health and Human Services Agency, which has under its jurisdiction designated departments and offices.
end deleteThis bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to a provision related to the California Health and Human Services Agency.
end deleteVote: majority.
Appropriation: no.
Fiscal committee: begin deleteno end deletebegin insertyesend insert.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
begin insertSection 33319.1 is added to the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert,
2to read:end insert
(a) Subject to subdivision (e), the Superintendent
4shall establish a pilot program pursuant to which the State
5Department of Education and relevant state and local partners
6will assist school districts in their efforts to establish or enhance
7mental health services and support for pupils at public elementary
8and secondary schoolsites. These services may include, but are
9not necessarily limited to, screenings, assessments, evaluations,
10interventions, and treatment.
11(b) A focus of the program established by this section shall be
12to establish mental health services and support at schools that
13already have school-based health centers and thus have some
14existing health care partnerships and infrastructure on which to
15build, but that lack mental
health services at those sites. In
16implementing the program under this section, the Superintendent
17shall collaborate with other education and mental health agencies
18and organizations, including those entities that are currently
19working to promote school-based mental health services.
20(c) The primary goals of the pilot program established by this
21section shall be as follows:
22(1) To facilitate the coordination of school staff, school districts,
23county mental health departments, and community-based
24organizations in establishing or enhancing school-based mental
25health services that effectively and efficiently provide screenings,
26assessments, referrals, and treatment to support the academic
27achievement and emotional health of pupils. As used in this section,
28“school staff” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, a teacher,
29teacher’s aide or assistant, school aide, principal, vice
principal,
30counselor, or mental health professional.
P3 1(2) To identify the barriers to providing effective, school-based
2mental health services, including services that are culturally and
3linguistically appropriate.
4(3) To identify and implement best practices that address the
5barriers to providing school-based mental health services.
6(4) To document the pilot program’s outcomes, including the
7number of schools that establish mental health services on the
8schoolsite, the number of pupils that receive mental health services
9at those schools, and the impacts on pupils related to their
10academic achievement and emotional health.
11(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Superintendent and
12the State Department of Education continue to explore and
13
implement, as appropriate, the recommendations from the K-12
14Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup that was convened by
15the Superintendent in 2012.
16(e) The State Department of Education shall seek nonstate
17sources of funding to support the pilot program, to the extent that
18funding is necessary, and shall implement this section only to the
19extent that those necessary nonstate funds are received.
Section 12803 of the Government Code is
21amended to read:
(a) The California Health and Human Services Agency
23includes the following departments: Health Care Services; Mental
24Health; Developmental Services; Public Health; Social Services;
25Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Aging; Rehabilitation; and Community
26Services and Development.
27(b) The agency also includes the Office of Statewide Health
28Planning and Development and the State Council on
29Developmental Disabilities.
30(c) The Department of Child Support Services is hereby
created
31within the agency commencing January 1, 2000, and shall be the
32single organizational unit designated as the state’s Title IV-D
33agency with the responsibility for administering the state plan and
34providing services relating to the establishment of paternity or the
35establishment, modification, or enforcement of child support
36obligations, as required by Section 654 of Title 42 of the United
37States Code. State plan functions shall be performed by other
38agencies as required by law, by delegation of the department, or
39by cooperative agreements.
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