PROF. DEVELOPMENT; MENTAL HEALTH S.B. 41 (S-1):
SUMMARY OF SUBSTITUTE BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 41 (Substitute S-1)
Sponsor: Senator Sylvia Santana
Committee: Education and Career Readiness
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:
-- Require the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and State associations representing mental health professionals to develop or adopt a professional development standard for professional development for teachers on mental health first aid within one year after the bill's effective date.
-- Require the standards to include coverage on the identification of potential risk factors and warning signs for mental illness, and strategies for helping an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.
-- Allow the professional development on mental health first aid to be counted towards the required five days of professional development required under Section 1527 of the Code, if the professional development met the standards prescribed in the bill.
The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.
Specifically, within one year after the bill's effective date, the MDE, in conjunction with DHHS and State associations representing mental health professionals, including school mental health professionals, would have to develop or adopt a professional development standard for professional development for teachers on mental health first aid. The professional development standards would have to include coverage of at least both of the following:
-- The identification of potential risk factors and warning signs for mental illness, including depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, eating disorders, substances use disorders, and self-injury.
-- Strategies for helping an individual experiencing a mental health crisis, including assessing risk, listening respectfully, supporting the individual, and identifying professional help and other resources for the individual.
Professional development for teachers on mental health first aid that met the standards described above could be counted toward the professional development required under Section 1527 of the Code. (Section 1527 requires the board of each school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy to provide at least five days of teacher professional development each year.)
Proposed MCL 380.1526b Legislative Analyst: Dana Adams
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on the Department of Education and local units of government. The MDE would experience a minimal fiscal impact to conduct research on various professional development courses. If the Department adopted a course instead of developing one, it would experience fewer administrative costs. Intermediate school districts, school districts, and charter schools could experience reduced costs if they would have otherwise devoted resources to research and develop professional development courses for mental health first aid locally.
The bill would lead to indeterminant minor costs for the DHHS resulting from the requirement that it work with the Department of Education to develop or adopt a professional development course on mental health first aid.
Fiscal Analyst: Ellyn Ackerman
Cory Savino
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.