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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2892 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 494
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Ryan M. Hamilton
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act providing for mental health professionals in public schools.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Ryan M. Hamilton15th Essex1/19/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2892 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 494
By Representative Hamilton of Methuen, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 494) of
Ryan M. Hamilton relative to providing for mental health professionals in public schools.
Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act providing for mental health professionals in public schools.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 53A the
2following section:-
3 Section 53A½. (a) Each school district shall appoint 1 or more full time school
4psychologists and 1 or more full time school social workers to provide mental health services to
5all students attending a public school, grades K-12, in the district.
6 (b) Mental health services provided by a full time school psychologist in K-12 public
7schools shall include, but not limited to:
8 (i) evaluations, screenings and assessments designed to determine the mental health and
9the well-being status of a student;
10 (ii) to inform parents or other persons in parental relation to the student, pupils and
11teachers of the individual student's mental health condition; 2 of 3
12 (iii) to address identified mental health needs of a student;
13 (iv) to instruct the school personnel in interventions, techniques and behavioral
14approaches to respond to the mental health needs of a student;
15 (v) to provide such interventions, approaches and services as necessary to address the
16mental health needs of a student; and
17 (vi) to make necessary recommendations concerning the mental health aspects of the
18school environment and the provision of mental health information.
19 (c) Mental health services provided by a full time school social worker in K-12 public
20schools shall include, but not limited to:
21 (i) assessments, evaluations and psychosocial intervention plans designed to prevent and
22intervene to address mental, social, emotional, behavioral, developmental and addictive
23disorders, conditions and disabilities of the psychosocial aspect of illness and injuries
24experienced by a student;
25 (ii) diagnosis of mental, emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders and
26disabilities and the psychosocial aspects of illness, injury, disability and impairment undertaken
27within a psychosocial framework;
28 (iii) administration and interpretation of tests and measures of psychosocial functioning;
29 (iv) development and implementation of appropriate assessment based treatment plans; 3 of 3
30 (v) the provision of crisis and lethality assessments and short term and long term
31psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic treatment to students for the purpose of preventing,
32assessing, treating, ameliorating and resolving psychosocial dysfunction with the goal of
33 maintaining and enhancing the mental, emotional, behavioral and social functioning and
34well-being of a student;
35 (vi) to work as a liaison between parent, child, school and community;
36 (vii) to instruct school personnel regarding interventions, technique and behavioral
37approaches;
38 (viii) to respond to the mental health needs of a student; and
39 (ix) to make necessary recommendations concerning the mental health aspects of the
40school environment and the provision of mental health information.
41 (d) The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules or
42regulations necessary to carry out this section.