Title and Board Action Requested
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Approve the Hernando County school District Mental Health Plan for the 2025-2026 School Year
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Executive Summary
The Director of Student Services, on behalf of the Superintendent of Schools, hereby requests the Hernando county School Board approve the Hernando County School district 2025-2026 Mental Health Assistance Application (MHAA).
Final directive requirements as well as the allocated amount for the 2025-2026 Mental Health Assistance Allocations has been increased from $1,497,221.00 to $1,525,043.00. This increase and the total annual amount is absorbed due to the increase in salaries, insurance cost, etc. Through the support of the Mental Health Assistant Allocation and the millage each school does have a full time social worker at their site. This is a direct impact on expanding mental health services and supports at each school as outlined in the MHAA.
Senate Bill 7030 requires all school districts to review, approve and submit Board approved plans for compliance with the SB7030 to the commissioner of education by August 1 of each year.
The MHAA provides funding to assist school districts in establishing or expanding school-based mental health services as part of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) process. The MHAA provides funding to assist school districts in establishing or expanding school-based mental healthcare.
SB7030 amended the MHAA, in part, to ensure that each Florida public school year and continuing for the 2025-2026 school year. The Mental Health professionals focus will be to provide supports, practices, and connecting children, youth and families who experience behavioral health issues with appropriate school based and community services. Each school districts MHAA plan must include all district schools including charter schools. Hernando County Schools includes three charter schools, BEST Academy, Gulf Coast Charter School and Gulf Coast Elementary School. All charter schools have elected to follow the Hernando Schools Mental Health Assistance Allocation plan for the 2025-2026 school year.
The updated Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan is focused on increasing access to mental health services by providing a School Social Worker at each school site. In addition, to continue to improve the mental health referral process, a social worker referral link will continue to be available for all stakeholders (Appendix B). This link will automatically notify the school social worker of a social worker referral (with parental consent) as well as create a mental health-tracking database to monitor compliance with the SB7030 required timelines. SB7030 requires a timeline for students to be screened within 15 days of receipt of the referral. The attached Decision Chart provides the process in compliance with SB7030 and one of the assurances for the MHAAP.
The MHAA also provides funding for mental health training including but not limited to state conferences for the school based mental health professionals. A portion of the MHAA funds is allocated for services in high need schools.
The MHAA Plan has also included in compliance with legislative updates that require a school board policy or procedure(s):
a. District schools and local mobile response teams use the same suicide screening instrument approved by FDOE pursuant to s. 1012.583, F.S., and Rule 6A-40010, Florida Administrative Code. The approved screeners are: the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), Suicide Assessment Five-Step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) and the SAFE-T with C-SSRS.
b. Assisting a mental health services provider or a behavioral health provider as described in s. 1011.62, F.S., respectively, or a school resource officer or a school safety officer who has completed mental health crisis intervention training in attempting to verbally deescalate a student’s crisis situation before initiating an involuntary examination.
c. The requirement that in a student crisis situation, the school or law enforcement personnel must make a reasonable attempt to contact a mental health professional who may initiate an involuntary examination pursuant to s. 394.463,F.S., unless the child poses an imminent danger to self or others before initiating an involuntary examination . Such contact may be in person or using telehealth. The mental health professional may be available to the school district either by contracts or interagency agreements with the managing entity, one or more local community behavioral health providers, or the local mobile response team, or be a direct or contracted school district employee. Note: All initiated involuntary examinations located on school grounds, on school transportation or at a school sponsored activity must be documented in the Involuntary Examinations and Restraint and Seclusion (IERS) platform.
d. Parents of students receiving services are provided information about other behavioral health services available through the student’s school or local community-based behavioral health service providers. Schools may meet this requirement by providing information about and internet addresses for web-based directories or guides for local behavioral health services.
The Mental Health Allocation Funding has increased and expanded services for students across the school district.
My Contact
Jill Kolasa, Director
Student Services
(352) 797-7008
2023-28 Strategic Focus Area
Priority 1: Student Success
Financial Impact
See attached budget sheet.
If expenditure is not currently budgeted, this will serve as the budget amendment when Board approved. If the agenda item includes the purchase of goods or services, the funds requested are an anticipated amount and may fluctuate depending on such factors as current market conditions, product availability, additional funding sources, and the needs of the District. Should the actual cost exceed the anticipated amount, the Board approves the additional cost, after review by the superintendent, but not in excess of the funds available in the site’s approved annual budget.