Amendment #457 to H5150

Improving behavioral health services for students

Ms. Decker of Cambridge moves to amend the bill by adding the following section:

SECTION X. Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16BB the following 2 sections:-

Section 16 CC. (a) There shall be an advisory council on school based behavioral health. Hereinafter “council” within, but not subject to control of, the executive office of health and human services. The council shall advise the governor, the general court, the secretary of education and the secretary of health and human services on the implementation of a multi-tiered system of behavioral health promotion, prevention, and intervention services in each school district.

(b) The council shall be comprised of:

(i) the following 10 members, who shall serve ex officio: the commissioner of mental health who shall serve as co-chair, the commissioner of education who shall serve as co-chair,  the commissioner of children and families, the commissioner of youth services, the commissioner of developmental services, the commissioner of public health, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, the commissioner of early education and care, the commissioner of insurance, the director of Medicaid, and the child advocate, or their designees;

(ii) additional persons appointed by the secretary of health and human services from the aforementioned agencies and from the executive office of health and human services; and

(iii) 1 person from each of the following organizations appointed by the secretary of health and human services from a list of nominees submitted by each organization:-

MA Association of School Superintendents- a superintendent

MA Association of School Committees- a school committee member

MA Secondary School Administrators Association-

MA Elementary School Principals Association

MA Federation of Teachers and MA Teachers Association – joint appointment?

MA Organization of Educational Collaboratives

MA School Counselor Association

MA School Nurse Organization

MA School Based Health Alliance

Massachusetts School Psychological Association, Inc;

The Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics;

New England Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Inc.;

The Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers;

The Children’s Mental Health Campaign,

Children’s League of Massachusetts, Inc

The Association for Behavioral Health,

Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc.,

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc,

Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Inc.

Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Inc;

Federation for Children with Special Needs

and (v) a representative of a Massachusetts recovery high school and 2 persons under the age of 22 who have received behavioral health services

The members of the council shall represent the culturally and linguistically diverse populations of children in the Commonwealth.

(c ) The terms for nongovernmental members shall be 3 years. Upon the expiration of a term, a nongovernmental member shall serve until a successor has been appointed; provided, however, that if a vacancy exists prior to the expiration of a term, another nongovernmental member shall be appointed to complete the unexpired term.

(d) The Secretary of Health and Human Services may appoint other state agency staff or community members on a permanent or ad hoc basis as necessary to fulfill the purpose of the council.

(e) The council shall recommend a timeline for statewide implementation of a multi-tiered system of behavioral health supports for students and bi-annually develop a plan with benchmarks to guide and measure progress toward statewide implementation.

The biannual plan shall at minimum address the following;

●  eliminating systemic inequities & disparities in access to school-based behavioral health;

●  school behavioral health staffing targets across disciplines,

●  capacity building support including professional development and technical assistance for delivery of culturally relevant models of behavioral health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports,

●  engagement and support of caregivers

●  formal collaboration and partnerships between schools and community based organizations and state agencies

●  ongoing data collection and assessment

●  state financing of school based behavioral health

●  universal and targeted behavioral health screening

(f) The council shall develop guidance documents to assist schools in conceptualizing and operationalizing behavioral promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports. The task force shall issue guidance for implementing universal and targeted behavioral health screening models in schools not later than July 31, 2021.

(g) The council shall establish a permanent data subcommittee. The data subcommittee shall be chaired by the Child Advocate or her designee and include representatives of each state agency appointed to the Task Force, other members of the council may serve on the data subcommittee as they are able. The data subcommittee shall compile a cross agency data set for the purpose of enabling the council to make data driven decisions about council priorities and recommendations including recommended resource allocations. Said data set will focus on the scope and nature of the behavioral health needs of students, the outcomes of behavioral health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports, gaps and disparities in access to services and emerging patterns and trends in student behavioral health. The subcommittee shall establish a format and schedule for regularly reporting said data to the Administration, Legislature and the Advisory Committee provided that at minimum reporting shall occur annually.

(h) The council may establish additional subcommittees and invite participation in subcommittees by individuals and organizations who are not council members as needed to accomplish the goals of the council.

(i ) The council shall make legislative and regulatory recommendations related to statewide implementation of a multi-tiered system of behavioral health promotion prevention and intervention services in each school district.

(j) The council shall submit an annual report, with legislative and regulatory recommendations, annually on  October 1st to the governor, the secretary of health and human services, the commissioner of early education and care, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, the child advocate and the general court, by filing them with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the joint committee on mental health and substance abuse and recovery, the joint committee on education and the senate and the house committees on ways and means.

(k) The meetings of the council shall comply with chapter 30A, except that the council, through its by-laws, may provide for executive sessions of the council. No action of the council shall be taken in an executive session. (g) The members of the council shall not receive a salary or per diem allowance for serving as members of the council.

Section 16 DD (a) Subject to appropriation, the executive office of health and human services in consultation with the executive office of education shall develop and implement a statewide, regionalized program of consultation, coaching, and technical assistance targeted to assisting in implementing a multi-tiered system of behavioral health support in each school district.

(b) The program shall have a central base of operations with regional offices. The program will provide web based, in person and remote supports to administrators, teachers and school behavioral health staff on a full range of issues related to planning, administering and managing behavioral health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports including engagement of families with a focus on ensuring equitable, culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate responses, including access to services.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #457 to H5150

Improving behavioral health services for students