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2017 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1500 (Member Request)

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Chief Patron: Yost
Mental Health Screening Pilot

Item 132 #2h

Item 132 #2h

 First Year - FY2017 Second Year - FY2018
Education
Department of Education, Central Office Operations FY2017 $0 FY2018 $436,250 GF

Language
Page 114, line 11, strike "$13,604,331" and insert "$14,040,581".

Page 115, after line 19, insert:

"F.1. Out of this appropriation, $436,250 the second year from the general fund is provided to the Department of Education to fund the first year of a three year pilot to implement mental health screenings in schools at three elementary school sites in Virginia.  The pilot schools shall be selected by the Department of Education.  As recommended by the House Joint Resolution 586 Workgroup, the mental health screening in elementary schools process shall be piloted for three years in three diverse elementary schools to allow sufficient time to gather information about implementation needs.

2. During the first year of funding, each pilot site will train school personnel in child mental health practices, develop and refine policies and procedures for each specific pilot site, and begin the process of hiring or reassigning staff.  During the second and third year, demonstration sites will begin implementing screening process and collecting data.  During year three, demonstration sites will work with Department of Education to form recommendations for future implementation.

3. Each of the three pilot sites shall include the following components: 1) a screening coordinator to provide administrative and technical support as well as serve as the point person for parents about the screening and the liaison between the school, providers and families; 2) a contracted Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) available to provide follow up clinical assessments and needed mental health services to children that screen at-risk and need services in addition to those that can be provided by the school system; 3) decreasing the current ratio of school counselors to students and include school psychological, social worker and nursing services at each pilot school to more closely align with national recommendations ratios, and; 4) mental health training offered to all school employees."

Explanation

(This amendment provides $436,250 the second year from the general fund to the Department of Education to fund the first of a three year roll-out period of a pilot to implement mental health screenings of students in three diverse elementary schools in the state. During the first year, each site will train school personnel in child mental health practices, develop and refine policies and procedures for each specific pilot site, and begin the process of hiring or reassigning staff. During the second and third year, sites will begin implementing screening process and collecting data. During year three, sites will work with Department of Education to form recommendations for future implementation.)

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