Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1410
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       35-01720-21                                           20211410__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to student mental health; amending s.
    3         1006.07, F.S.; requiring district school boards to
    4         adopt policies relating to student mental health for
    5         grades 9 through 12; requiring that such policies
    6         include access to specified professionals in the
    7         school setting, access to a continuum of services
    8         during the school day, and procedures to aid a student
    9         experiencing a mental health crisis; requiring such
   10         procedures to ensure appropriate care, minimize the
   11         use of law enforcement and hospitalization, involve
   12         the use of mobile crisis response services that meet
   13         certain criteria, include a method to request
   14         assistance discreetly, and include methods for
   15         engaging the student and his or her family in
   16         continuing treatment; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Subsection (10) is added to section 1006.07,
   21  Florida Statutes, to read:
   22         1006.07 District school board duties relating to student
   23  discipline and school safety.—The district school board shall
   24  provide for the proper accounting for all students, for the
   25  attendance and control of students at school, and for proper
   26  attention to health, safety, and other matters relating to the
   27  welfare of students, including:
   28         (10) STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH.—Adopt policies to provide
   29  mental health assistance to students in grades 9 through 12.
   30  These policies must include all of the following:
   31         (a) Access to mental health professionals in the school
   32  setting. Such professionals must include therapists, counselors,
   33  psychologists, and social workers.
   34         (b) A continuum of services available during the school day
   35  to facilitate better access to such services and improved
   36  outcomes.
   37         (c) Procedures to aid a student experiencing a mental
   38  health crisis on a school campus. Such procedures must:
   39         1. Ensure that the student receives an appropriate level of
   40  care and minimize the use of law enforcement and
   41  hospitalization.
   42         2. Include the use of mobile crisis response services, as
   43  defined in s. 394.455. Such response services must be operated
   44  or contracted for by a district school board, county government,
   45  or municipal government and be able to arrive at a school campus
   46  within 1 hour after being called.
   47         3. Include a method for an educator to discreetly request
   48  assistance from a mobile crisis response service.
   49         4. Include methods for engaging the student and the
   50  student’s family in continuing mental health treatment, if
   51  appropriate, designed to maintain the student’s stability and
   52  status in school without the use of hospitalization or in
   53  patient treatment.
   54         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.