BP 5141.5 — Mental Health

Section: 5000 - Students
Status: Active

Adopted: 2021-04-22

Revised: 2023-08-17

Policy text

MENTAL HEALTH

The Governing Board recognizes that students’ emotional well-being and mental health are critical to their ability to perform to their full academic and personal potential. The Superintendent or designee shall develop strategies and services to build students’ resiliency skills, including digital resistance, increase social connections, cope with life challenges, and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

The Superintendent or designee shall consult and collaborate with school-employed mental health professionals, the county mental health department, psychologists and other health professionals, social workers, and/or community organizations to strengthen local mental health services and develop and implement an integrated plan to support student mental health.

To the extent possible, the district shall focus on preventive strategies that increase students’ connectedness to school, create a support network of peers and trusted adults, and provide techniques for conflict resolution. The district shall investigate and resolve any complaint of bullying, intimidation, harassment, or discrimination in accordance with law and district policy.

The district shall provide instruction to students that promotes their healthy mental, emotional, social and sexual development. Health education courses shall be aligned with the state content standards and curriculum framework and shall include, but not be limited to, instruction related to identifying signs of depression and self-destructive behaviors, developing coping skills, and identifying resources that may provide assistance.

Information and Training

The Superintendent or designee shall provide school staff with information and training to recognize the early signs of an emerging mental health condition and/or behavioral health disorder, identify risk factors and warning signs of suicidal intent, respond to students who have been impacted by traumatic stress, and link students with effective services and supports. Such training shall also provide instruction on how to maintain student privacy and confidentiality. Behavioral health information and training may also be provided to parents/guardians, students, and families.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop a protocol for identifying and assessing students who may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, depression, eating disorder, or other severe or disabling mental illness. The Superintendent or designee may establish districtwide or school-site crisis intervention team(s) to respond to mental health concerns in the school setting.

At least twice per school year, the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that each school provides notice regarding how to initiate access to student mental health services on campus and/or in the community. The notification shall be in at least two of the following methods:

Distributing the information, electronically or in hardcopy, in a letter to parents/guardians, and in a school publication or other document to students
Including the information, at the beginning of the school year, in the parent handbook for parents/guardians and in student orientation materials or a student handbook
Posting the information on the school’s website or social media

Parents/guardians and students shall each receive two notices on how to initiate access to student mental health services, which may be delivered by different methods.

Each school site that serves students in any of grades 6-12 shall create an age appropriate and culturally relevant poster that identifies approaches and shares resources about student mental health, and that includes the following information:

Identification of common behaviors of those struggling with mental health or who are in a mental health crisis, including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, emotional dysregulation, bipolar episodes, and schizophrenic episodes
A list of, and contact information for, school site-specific resources, including, but not limited to, counselors, wellness centers, and peer counselors
A list of, and contact information for, community resources, including, but not limited to, suicide prevention, substance abuse, child crisis, nonpolice mental health hotlines, public behavioral health services, and community mental health centers
A list of positive coping strategies to use when dealing with mental health, including, but not limited to, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathing exercises, grounding skills, journaling, acceptance, and seeking therapy
A list of negative coping strategies to avoid, including, but not limited to, substance abuse or self-medication, violence and abuse, self-harm, compulsivity, dissociation, catastrophizing, and isolating

The poster shall be displayed in English and any primary language spoken by 15 percent or more of the students at the school site and be no smaller than 8.5 by 11 inches and at least 12-point font. The poster shall be prominently and conspicuously displayed in public areas that are accessible to, and commonly frequented by, students at each school site such as bathrooms, locker rooms, classrooms, classroom hallways, gymnasiums, auditoriums, cafeterias, wellness centers, and offices. Additionally, at the beginning of each school year the poster shall be distributed online to students through social media, websites, portals, and learning platforms.

Mental Health Counseling and Referrals

A school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker may provide mental health counseling to students in accordance with the specialization(s) authorized on the individual’s credential. As needed, students and their parents/guardians may be provided referrals to mental health services in the community and/or to mental health services at or near district schools.

Mental health and behavioral health services for students on campus may be provided by way of telehealth technology.

If a student has an emotional or mental illness that limits a major life activity, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment, or may need special education and related services, the student shall be referred for an evaluation for purposes of determining whether any educational or related services are required in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as applicable.

Funding Resources

The Superintendent or designee shall explore potential funding sources for district programs and services that support student’s mental health. In accordance with local plans and priorities, the district may apply to the county for grants for prevention and early intervention activities that are designed to prevent mental illness from becoming severe and disabling and to improve timely access for underserved populations.