HB341 Alabama 2020 Session

Section 1

(a) Subject to appropriations by the Legislature, commencing with the 2021-2022 2020-2021 school year, each local board of education in the state shall employ a mental health service coordinator. The coordinator shall be responsible for coordinating student mental health services throughout the local school system. (b) An individual hired as a coordinator shall possess at least one of the following qualifications: (1) Have a bachelor's degree in social work. (2) Satisfy State Department of Education qualifications for a school counselor. (3) Satisfy State Department of Education qualifications for a school nurse. (4) Have professional mental health experience, or have been licensed in a mental health occupation including, but not limited to, licensure as a licensed professional counselor or marriage and family therapist. (5) Other qualifications as determined by the Alabama Department of Mental Health and the State Department of Education. (c) Within one year after being hired as a mental health service coordinator, an individual shall earn a school-based mental health certificate by successfully completing a certification program developed by the Alabama Department of Mental Health. (d) On or before the last day of the 2021 fiscal year, and as requested thereafter, each local board of education shall complete, and submit to the Alabama Department of Mental Health, a needs assessment and resource map for the schools under the jurisdiction of the board. The assessment shall document the status of mental health for the entire school system and allow the local board of education to engage in a quality improvement process to improve the provision of mental health resources to students within the school system. (e) The Alabama Department of Mental Health and the State Department of Education may adopt rules and policies as necessary for implementation of this section. (f) The administration of this act shall be subject to appropriations made by the Legislature.

Section 2

This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law. House of Representatives Read for the first time and re- ferred to the House of Representa- tives committee on Education Policy ................................... ....... 27-FEB-20Read for the second time and placed on the calendar 1 amendment ...... ....... 05-MAR-20 Read for the third time and passed as amended......................... ....... 12-MAR-20 Yeas 102, Nays 0, Abstains Jeff Woodard Clerk