Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1709 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1709 3
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7	7	By: Representative Steele 5
8	8	By: Senator J. Scott 6
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10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO AMEND THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN THE 9
12	12	SCHOOLS PROGRAM; TO INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS 10
13	13	IN THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM; 11
14	14	AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
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17	17	Subtitle 15
18	18	TO AMEND THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN 16
19	19	THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM; AND TO INCLUDE 17
20	20	MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS IN THE HUMAN 18
21	21	SERVICES WORKERS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM. 19
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23	23	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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25	25	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 20 -76-112 is amended to read as follows: 23
26	26	20-76-112. Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in the 24
27	27	Schools Program. 25
28	28	(a)(1) The Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in the 26
29	29	Schools Program is established as a collaborative effort among the Division 27
30	30	of Children and Family Services, the Arkansas Workforce Development Board, 28
31	31	the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, and local school 29
32	32	districts. 30
33	33	(2) The Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in 31
34	34	the Schools Program is designed to help children and families by: 32
35	35	(1)(A) Promoting safety of children and strengthening of 33
36	36	families; 34
37	37	(2)(B) Supporting the community's capacity to produce children 35
38	38	who are healthy, children who are in supportive, nurturing, and healthy 36 HB1709
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41	41	families, and children who succeed in school; and 1
42	42	(3)(C) Promoting the Division of Children and Family Services' 2
43	43	family preservation philosophy and family -centered practice. 3
44	44	(b) Upon approval of the board, the Division of Children and Family 4
45	45	Services shall enter into contracts with local school districts to provide 5
46	46	funding for the maximum number of human services workers and mental health 6
47	47	counselors. 7
48	48	(c)(1) A human services worker shall have a bachelor's degree or a 8
49	49	master's degree in social work or a related field . 9
50	50	(2) A mental health counselor shall have a bachelor's degree or 10
51	51	a master's degree in the mental health or counseling field. 11
52	52	(3) A human services worker or mental health counselor and shall 12
53	53	provide the following services according to skills and training: 13
54	54	(1)(A) Crisis intervention; 14
55	55	(2)(B) School conferences and in -service training; 15
56	56	(3)(C) Home visits; 16
57	57	(4)(D) Transportation for family and student group counseling; 17
58	58	(5)(E) Parent training and activities; 18
59	59	(6)(F) Supportive service referrals; 19
60	60	(7)(G) Individualized coping and conflict management skills; and 20
61	61	(8)(H) Assessment of family and student needs. 21
62	62	(d)(1) Funding for human services workers and mental health counselors 22
63	63	shall be targeted to schools with eighty percent (80%) or more of their 23
64	64	children eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program under the National 24
65	65	School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1751 et seq. 25
66	66	(2) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and the 26
67	67	Division of Children and Family Services shall develop criteria to prioritize 27
68	68	eligibility for the Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in 28
69	69	the Schools Program. 29
70	70	(e) The Coordinated Health Services Section of the Division of 30
71	71	Elementary and Secondary Education shall evaluate the Human Services Workers 31
72	72	and Mental Health Counselors in the Schools Program annually in coordination 32
73	73	with the Division of Children and Family Services, the board, and the local 33
74	74	school districts that hold contracts. 34
75	75	(f) A parent or a student has the option to refuse any services 35
76	76	recommended under the Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in 36 HB1709
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