BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1025
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 20, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1025 (Thurmond) - As Amended May 6, 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Education |Vote:|6 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE),
to the extent moneys are appropriated in the annual budget act,
to establish pilot programs to encourage inclusive practices
that integrate mental health, special education, and school
AB 1025
Page 2
climate interventions following a multitiered framework.
Sunsets the program January 1, 2020. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the CDE to develop and implement federal Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration "Now is The
Time" funded pilot projects in accordance with the provisions
of this bill.
2)Requires the CDE, contingent upon an appropriation in the
annual Budget Act, to establish a three-year pilot program in
three schools in each of five school districts that apply to
participate. Specifies these schools shall not be those that
received a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration "Now is The Time" grant.
3)Requires the CDE to select schools where at least 60% of the
student body is eligible for a free or reduced-price meal
program and whose applications detail a model approach that
targets the behavioral, emotional, and academic needs of
pupils with multitiered and integrated mental health, special
education, and school climate interventions and other
specified criteria.
4)Requires the State Department of Health Care Services, the
Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability
Commission, and the CDE to develop a comprehensive evaluation
plan to assess the impact of the pilot program and disseminate
best practices.
5)Requires pilot program participants to report program outcomes
and indicators, designated measures of pupil well-being,
academic achievement, and school engagement and attendance.
Further, requires the CDE to evaluate the program and provide
a report with recommendations.
AB 1025
Page 3
6)Requires the Mental Health Services Oversight and
Accountability Commission to revise its guidelines and
regulations for Prevention and Early Intervention Programs of
the Mental Health Services Act, to require that these
prevention and early intervention programs in K-12 schools are
designed to support the implementation or expansion of model
program established pursuant to this bill.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Unknown General Fund administrative costs to CDE, likely in
excess of $400,000. The bill does not provide a specific
grant amount, beyond start up and evaluation funding the first
three years and specifies the program is contingent upon an
appropriation in the annual budget act. Costs to administer
these new grants will depend upon the size and scope of the
grants. For example, a grant program that awards $1 million
dollars to 15 school districts will necessitate a different
staffing level than a program that provides $10 million
dollars to 150 school districts. Administrative workload
associated with this new program include application
development, administering grant awards, coordinating with the
Department of Health Care Services to develop a comprehensive
evaluation plan to assess the benefits of the program,
disseminating best practices, data collection and reporting
requirements.
2)Requires the CDE, contingent upon an appropriation in the
annual Budget Act, to provide $250,000 in year one; $200,000
in year two; and $150,000 in year three for startup and
evaluation funding to each school participating in the pilot
AB 1025
Page 4
program.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, nearly one in four youth
are living in poverty, almost 60,000 youth are currently
placed in foster care and it is estimated that 20 percent of
youth are in need of mental health intervention. Too often,
students in disadvantaged communities face relational and
environmental stressors that, when left unaddressed, hinder
their ability to achieve their full potential. Working in
partnership with mental health providers, the school community
can be empowered with the skills and resources to promote the
wellbeing and achievement of all students. This bill requires
the SDE to establish pilot programs, to the extent funds are
provided in the Budget Act, to encourage practices that
integrate mental health, special education, and school climate
interventions using a multi-tiered framework.
2)Background. Following the school shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary, President Obama established a grant program to
increase students' access to mental health treatments.
California received $9.7 million from the "Now is the Time
Project Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education" grant
last fall. Garden Grove Unified School District, Santa Rosa
City Schools, and the San Diego County Office of Education
were selected to participate in the first component of the
grant. These local education agencies (LEAs) will establish a
process for referring and connecting children to mental health
services. If successful, the models developed by these LEAs
can be shared statewide. The grant also provides for a
training program called Youth Mental Health First Aid. The
training teaches schools' staff how to help youth experiencing
mental health or addictions challenges or are in crisis.
3)Related legislation. AB 580 (O'Donnell), pending in this
AB 1025
Page 5
committee, requires each school to provide annual training to
teachers and classified staff on the early identification of
student mental health problems, including protocols for
referrals.
AB 1133 (Achadjian), pending in this committee, establishes a
four-year pilot program, the School-Based Early Mental Health
Intervention and Prevention Services Support Program, to
provide outreach, free regional training, and technical
assistance for local educational agencies in providing mental
health services at schoolsites.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081