The bill creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health
assessment program (program) administered by the department of public health and environment (department).
The bill allows any public school that serves any of grades 6
through 12 to participate in the program and requires a public school that wants to participate in the program to notify the department. The bill requires participating schools to provide written notice to
the parents of students within the first 2 weeks of the start of the school year in order to allow parents to opt their child out of participating in the mental health assessment.
The bill specifies that a student 12 years of age or older may
consent to participate in the mental health assessment even if the student's parent opts out.
Mental health assessments must be conducted in participating
schools by a qualified provider. The bill requires the department to select a qualified provider to administer the mental health assessment and establishes requirements that the qualified provider must meet.
The bill requires a qualified provider to notify the student's parent
under certain circumstances, if the qualified provider finds that additional treatment is needed after reviewing the student's mental health assessment results.
The bill authorizes the department to promulgate rules as necessary
to implement and administer the program.
