HB 24-1406 Summary

• Creates a School-Based Mental Health Support Program within the Behavioral Health Administration to provide training and resources to public school educators for delivering evidence-based mental health services to students.

• Requires the BHA to contract with an external provider by January 1, 2025, to begin implementation by the 2025-26 school year, with a goal of scaling the program to 400 schools by the 2027-28 school year.

• Program focuses on three tiers: classroom-based mental wellness and resiliency skills for all students, cognitive behavioral and mindfulness skill-building for students with anxiety or depression, and suicide risk management and care coordination for at-risk youth.

• Appropriates $2,500,000 from the general fund for the 2024-25 fiscal year to administer the program, with up to $100,000 usable for the application and selection process.

• Sunsets on July 1, 2028, requiring the external provider to be a not-for-profit entity without restrictive licensing agreements and with demonstrated efficacy through third-party evaluations.