PROF. DEVELOPMENT; MENTAL HEALTH S.B. 321:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 321 (as introduced 3-25-21) (Senate-passed version)
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 coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), community mental health services programs, and State associations representing mental health professionals, to develop or adopt professional development standards for teachers on recognizing and addressing mental health needs 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 recognizing and addressing mental health needs to be counted towards the days of professional development required under the Code if it met the standards prescribed in the bill.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
Specifically, within one year after the bill's effective date, the MDE, in coordination and collaboration with the DHHS, community mental health services programs, and State associations representing mental health professionals, including licensed school-based mental health professionals, would have to develop or adopt a professional development standards for professional development for teachers on recognizing and addressing mental health needs. ("Community mental health services program" would mean that term as defined in Section 100a of the Mental Health Code: a program operated under Chapter 2 (County Community Mental Health Programs) of the Mental Health Code as a county community mental health agency, a community mental health authority, or a community mental health organization.)
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 recognizing and addressing mental health needs 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 MDE 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 development of professional development courses for recognizing and addressing mental health needs locally.
The bill would lead to indeterminate minor costs for the DHHS resulting from the requirement that it work with the MDE to develop or adopt a professional development course on recognizing and addressing mental health needs.
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.