Amendment ID: S2844-6

Amendment 6

Gambling addiction prevention through promoting youth mental health

Ms. Rausch, Messrs. Cyr, Collins, O'Connor, Gomez and Tarr move that the proposed new text be amended in section 5 by inserting at the end thereof the following new paragraph:- 

"The secretary of health and human services, in consultation with the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, shall expend money in the fund to ensure that each elementary and each secondary school in the commonwealth is staffed with at least one school mental health professional; provided, however, that for purposes of this paragraph, the term 'school mental health professional' shall mean a school counselor, a school psychologist, or a school social worker; and provided further, that consistent with applicable scopes of practice, school mental health professionals may: (i) provide mental health services to students; (ii) offer training and resources to school faculty and administrators; (iii) provide the school with culturally competent, linguistically diverse resources to develop and improve the social and emotional health of students; (iv) provide direct social and emotional skill building; (v) assist students and their families with applying for and obtaining necessary public benefits for which each student and the student’s family is eligible; (vi) provide services and supports to students who have an individualized education program; (vii) consult and coordinate with other school professionals on behalf of students and support families accessing community-based resources as needed and appropriate; and (viii) identify food insecurity, homelessness, and other issues affecting students and make referrals to services with the community, bringing those services into the school where possible.;

In section 8, in line 213, by striking out the figure '9' inserting in place thereof the following figure:- '18'; and

In said section 8, in line 215, by inserting after the figure '23K' the following words:- '; and provided further, that not less than 9 percent of said fees, surcharges, civil penalties and taxes deposited in said public health trust fund shall be expended to provide for school mental health professionals'."