SB40 Summary

• State Department of Education must develop a comprehensive program addressing mental health of at-risk students, including ADHD and anger management issues, with professional development for teachers, mental health consultations, social skills curricula, and parenting programs.

• Department shall create a safe and supportive schools framework providing guidance to schools on fostering positive learning environments while integrating mental health services, bullying prevention, trauma sensitivity, and restorative discipline approaches.

• Each school district must implement the framework, develop action plans with measurable goals, and publish plans on their website, with technical assistance provided by the state department.

• Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, each local board of education must employ a mental health service coordinator with qualifications in social work, school counseling, school nursing, or licensed mental health occupations, who must earn a school-based mental health certificate within one year.

• Each school board must complete and submit a needs assessment and resource map to the Alabama Department of Mental Health by the end of the 2023 fiscal year, subject to legislative appropriations.