Montana House Bill HB875

Montana 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/21/23
• Refer: 3/22/23

Caption

Establishing the school mental health promotion pilot program

Impact

The introduction of this program represents a significant step toward enhancing mental health resources within schools. With an appropriation of $250,000 from the general fund for each year of the biennium, the initiative aims to provide sustainable financial support for mental health promotion efforts. Grant recipients will be required to report on their expenditures and the effectiveness of their initiatives, thereby ensuring accountability and facilitating the evaluation of program impacts on student mental health over time.

Summary

House Bill 875 establishes a School Mental Health Promotion Pilot Program, aimed at encouraging schools to implement innovative, student-led mental health initiatives. The program is administered by the Office of Public Instruction, which will award grants to school districts that demonstrate a need for mental health support for students. These grants will help schools address mental health concerns through locally determined initiatives tailored to the specific needs of their student populations. The grant amounts can vary based on student enrollment and must be used exclusively for mental health promotion activities.

Contention

Potential points of contention may arise regarding the adequacy of funding and the effectiveness of the program in genuinely addressing mental health problems. As the legislation mandates evaluations, stakeholders may scrutinize the methodology and metrics used to assess the programs' impacts. Additionally, concerns related to the breadth of mental health promotion activities could be debated, such as whether they sufficiently address the diverse needs of students across varying school environments.