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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1805 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 346 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Rebecca L. Rausch |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act ensuring access to mental health supports in K-12 schools. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and MiddlesexLydia EdwardsThird Suffolk2/3/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/14/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1805 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 346 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Ms. Rausch, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 346) of Rebecca L. Rausch, Lydia |
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| 19 | 19 | | Edwards and James B. Eldridge for legislation to ensuring access to mental health supports in K- |
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| 20 | 20 | | 12 schools. Education. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act ensuring access to mental health supports in K-12 schools. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Section 1P of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (g) the following subsection:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 (h) As used in this section, the term “school mental health professional” shall mean a |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4school counselor, a school psychologist, or a school social worker. The department of elementary |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5and secondary education shall provide school mental health professionals at a ratio of at least 1 |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6per 250 students, with a minimum of 1 school mental health professional at each elementary and |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7each secondary school in the commonwealth. Consistent with applicable scopes of practice, |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8school mental health professionals may, without limitation, provide mental health services to |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9students; offer training and resources to school faculty and administrators; provide the school |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10with culturally competent and linguistically diverse resources to develop and improve the social |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11and emotional health of students; provide direct social and emotional skill building; assist |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12students and their families with applying for and obtaining necessary public benefits for which 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13each student and the student’s family is eligible; provide services and supports to students who |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14have an individualized education program; consult and coordinate with other school |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15professionals on behalf of students and support families accessing community-based resources as |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16needed and appropriate; and identify food insecurity, homelessness, and other issues affecting |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17students and make referrals to services with the community, bringing those services into the |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18school where possible. |
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