PRESENTERS Stacy Skalski, Ph.D. NASP Director of Public Policy
[email protected] Understanding the Public Policy Landscape for
School Mental Health MHEDIC Meeting Chicago, Illinois May 20,
2009
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2 Topics for this Session The Public Policy Opportunities for
School Mental Health Current Proposed Federal Legislation Federal
and State Issues Coalitions
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The Public Policy Opportunities for School Mental Health
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4 Foundations for Building Public Policy Grounding documents
UCLA School Mental Health Policy Briefs The Role of Research Basic
Assumptions for Public Policy State vs. Federal Issues
Collaborations with National Organizations Things change as people
change. Types of Public Policy Short-Term Policy Formation
Long-Term Policy Formation Policy Promotion
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Legislative Priorities
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6 Capitol Hill Priorities Legislation Policy advancement
through coalition activities Professional relations outreach to US
DOE New emphasis under Secretary Duncan Early Childhood Prevention
and Services ($500m Title 1 Early Childhood, $300m Early Learning
Challenge (0-5), $162.5 Early Reading First (research)) Community
SchoolsSchool-Community Partnerships
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7 Current Legislative Opportunities Workforce: Reducing the
Shortages of School and Community Child Mental Health Professionals
Increased Student Achievement through Increased Student Support Act
(HR 1361, S538) Child Healthcare Crisis Relief Act (HR 1932, S999)
Advancing School Mental Health Mental Health in the Schools Act
(TBD) The Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1064, S435) Advancing
School-Community Collaborations and Medicaid in the Schools Healthy
Schools Act (S1034) Full Service Schools Act (TBD) School Based
Health Clinics Act of 2007 (TBD)
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8 Current Legislative Opportunities, continued Leadership in US
DOE for Specialized Instructional Support Personnel and Interagency
Collaborations Reducing Barriers to Learning Act (TBD) Advancing
Positive Behavior Supports Positive Behavior for Effective Schools
Act (TBD) Anti-Bullying and Harassment Safe Schools Improvement Act
(HR2262) Bullying and Gang Reduction for Improved Education Act (HR
1589)
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9 Reducing the Shortage of School Mental Health Providers The
Issues: There is a supply/demand shortage of school and community
child mental health professionals in the country. Existing training
program capacity will not meet this demand. There is also a
shortage of professors. State higher education funding support is
diminishing.
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10 Reducing the Shortage of School MH Providers, continued
Progress: College Cost Reduction Act (2007) Public Service
Employees Loan Forgiveness Program Higher Education Improvement Act
(2008) Loan Forgiveness for Areas of National Need: Mental Health
Pending Legislation: Increased Student Achievement through
Increased Student Support Act Builds a pipeline between school
psych, counselor, social worker university training programs and
low income school districts Loan Forgiveness for those that stay
for 5 years post-grad Child Healthcare Crisis Relief Act Loan
repayment and scholarships for MH including SP, SSW, SC Training
grants
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11 Education and School Mental Health Funding The Issues:
Declining federal investment in education and IDEA funding IDEA
authorized funding level is up to 40%. Current funding is roughly
17% (11.5B, per child federal share: $1713) Increases in costs to
states and schools to implement federal programs (i.e. NCLB
accountability mandates) Lack of federal programs specifically
addressing school based mental health Elementary & Secondary
School Counseling Program ($52m) Safe Schools, Healthy Students
declining funding and narrow scope ($78m) Safe and Drug Free School
declining funding and narrow scope (national: $173 proposed $283;
state: $294.8 cut) Mental Health Integration Grants ($5.9m,
proposed $6.9m)
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12 Education and School Mental Health Funding, continued
Progress: Funding increases to ESSCP program American Economic
Recovery Plan $100b for Education representing 12% of total
stimulus plan $11.7 billion for IDEA Current federal education
funding is 3% Proposed Legislation Keep our Promise to Americas
Teachers and Children Act (HR 1102) Requires full federal share
funding of NCLB and IDEA
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13 Advancing School Mental Health The Issues: Increasing mental
health needs related to the effects of the economy Increasing
awareness of mental health needs of students Lack of access to
prevention and intervention services Schoolhouse to jailhouse
pipeline Disproportionate representation: racial and economic
divides
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14 Advancing School Mental Health, continued Progress: Stigma
is diminishing. Increased interest in school mental health programs
and supports. Passage of the Mental Health Parity Act and SCHIP
Research linking intervention effectiveness and educational
outcomes. Proposed Legislation: Mental Health in the Schools Act
Expands the safe schools healthy students programs focus to mental
health and expands funding for the program The Youth PROMISE Act
(HR 1064, S435) Emphasizes the importance of prevention and
intervention programs to prevent juvenile delinquency
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15 DOE Leadership for Specialized Instructional Support
Personnel The Issues: No designated leadership representing the
services of professionals who are responsible for addressing
barriers to learning No voice at the table at the federal level
U.S. Department of Education doesnt reflect typical representative
structure in states and local schools Terminology different in IDEA
and NCLB (related services vs. pupil services) Terminology does not
reflect importance to our work to learning and instruction
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16 DOE Leadership for Specialized Instructional Support
Personnel, continued Progress: NCLB draft released last year
included new titlespecialized instructional support personnel Obama
sponsored a bill that included proposal to create the Office of
Specialized Instructional Supports Proposed Legislation: Reducing
Barriers to Learning Act Creates Office of Specialized
Instructional Supports (SIS) Replaces pupil services with SIS
Personnel Provides grants to states to develop this leadership in
SEA Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Contains the proposal
to create the Office of Specialized Instructional Supports Adds
PBIS and Early Intervening Services language to NCLB
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17 Advancing Positive Behavior Supports The Issues: The
research on the effectiveness of positive behavior interventions
and supports programs is compelling Increased student achievement
is realized consistently across Positive Behavior Interventions
& Supports (PBIS) schools School psychologists are actively
involved in the delivery of these programs and related services
across the country PBIS programs increase access to a full
continuum of mental health supports Currently, PBIS language is
only in IDEA, making it appear as a special education issue A lack
of awareness and leadership about the importance of PBIS has
stalled its advancement.
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18 Advancing Positive Behavior Supports, continued Progress:
The draft language for NCLB released by the House last year
included numerous references to PBIS and Early Intervening Services
(EIS) Proposed Legislation: Positive Behavior for Effective Schools
Act (Rep. Hare and former Sen. Obama) Flexible use of Title 1 funds
for advancing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Adds explicit language about PBIS to NCLB Promotes leadership for
addressing barriers to learning
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19 Anti-Bullying and Harassment The Issues: Research estimates
that 1 out of 4 students experience bullying and harassment in
schools Bullying and harassment targeting subgroups (minorities,
GLBQT, linguistically diverse) of students is pervasive Issues
related to cyber bullying are on the rise Some states have passed
legislation to curtail these problems, but other states have
ignored the issue Schools need to bring more attention to these
issues. There are no current reporting requirements.
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20 Anti-Bullying and Harassment, continued Progress: Many
states have brought attention to this issue through legislation
Increased awareness about the importance of school climate Proposed
Legislation: Safe Schools Improvement Act (Rep Sanchez) Amends Safe
and Drug Free Schools Program to include mandated state reporting
of incidences of bullying Allows Safe and Drug Free Schools money
to be spent on bullying prevention programs
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21 Advancing School-Community Collaborations Based upon Full
Service Schools models (Dryfoos) Related programs include: Systems
of Care Communities in Schools Full Service Schools Act School
Based Health Clinics Secretary Duncan promotes school-community
partnerships as a way of providing comprehensive supports to
students while utilizing public facilities (schools) more
efficiently. Conflicts arise from funding and mission & purpose
issues, supplanting vs. supplementing services, poor interagency
collaboration, community driven vs. school driven models
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22 Advancing School-Community Collaborations Progress to Date:
Safe Schools, Healthy Students Mental Health Integration Grants
Systems of Care (SAMHSA) School Based Health Clinics (SAMHSA)
Proposed Legislation: Full Service Community Schools Act of 2007
(pending) Sponsor: Steny Hoyer (MD) Amends ESEA Title IV to provide
new grant program to establish FSCS ($75K grant to school; $200m
authorized appropriations) Qualified services include a variety of
things including mental health counseling services. School Based
Health Clinic Act of 2007 (pending) Prior Sponsor: Rep. Hooley (no
longer in Congress) Grants to establish SBHC (physical, mental
health, health ed, and case management) Authorized appropriations
up to $50m in first year
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23 Presidents Proposed Budget On p. 35: Highlights of the
request for national activities include: $100m for a major new
initiative of grant assistance to support new approaches designed
to change school culture and climate, and thereby improve character
and discipline and reduce drug use, crime, and violence. Promise
Neighborhoods: $10m for grants to non- profit, community based
organizations to support the development of plans for comprehensive
neighborhood programs (Harlem Childrens Zone)
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24 Related Coalitions National Alliance of Pupil Services
Organizations (NAPSO) http://napso.org/http://napso.org/ Consortium
for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Education and Health Task
Forces http://www.c-c-d.org/http://www.c-c-d.org/ Friends of School
Heath Success for All Sponsored by Bazelon Center for MH (Focus:
PBIS) Mental Health Liaison Group
http://www.mhlg.org/http://www.mhlg.org/