Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates the school-based
mental health support program (program) in the behavioral health administration (BHA) to provide high-quality training, resources, and implementation and sustainment support for the existing public school educator workforce to provide evidence-based mental health services to students through a contract with an external provider. The program emphasizes supporting schools in rural areas and schools with students who do not have equitable access to mental health care.
No later than January 1, 2025, the bill requires the BHA to contract
with an external provider to implement the program no later than the start of the 2025-26 school year.
The bill requires the BHA to collaborate with the external provider
to determine the cost of implementing the program in at least 400 public schools by the start of the 2027-28 school year.
The bill requires the general assembly to appropriate $2.5 million
from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the BHA to administer the program. The bill allows the BHA to use up to $100,000 of the funds to select the external provider.
