C. Psychological and Mental Health Services

• 1. Mental and emotional health issues directly impede students' abilities to learn. Such issues include bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, anxiety, and domestic violence, as well as psychiatric disorders.
• 2. Therefore, each LEA shall:
• a. Ensure that students have access to a coordinated program of culturally and linguistically responsive psychological and mental health services, on site or through effective referral systems;
• b. Ensure that school psychological and mental health services will be provided by appropriately credentialed, high quality staff. Services must provide for identification of risks and assessment of service needs; primary prevention; individual, family, and group counseling; consultative services; and resource and service coordination; and
• c. To the extent practicable, ensure that schools coordinate with community youth development, prevention, and treatment efforts.

(c) The school crisis response team shall be comprised of those selected school personnel willing to serve as members of a psychological response team to address the psychological and emotional needs of the school community, and may seek mental health resources from the department of elementary and secondary education. Members of the school crisis response team may coordinate mental health services for those students and school employees affected by acts of violence in the schools, using resources available through the department of elementary and secondary education.

"Child opportunity zone", Rhode Island's community school initiative, means a site at or near a school that provides: early childhood initiatives; before-school, after-school, and summer enrichment programs; health and mental health services; parent engagement, adult education, workforce development training; or any combination of these programs based upon the students and the community's needs.

The children's cabinet shall incorporate into its strategic plan "child opportunity zones" as a means to deliver comprehensive and coordinated social services at or near public school sites. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall undertake activities including, but not limited to, the award of and administration of grants to further the purpose set forth in this chapter.

The purpose of child opportunity zones is to implement programs related to the specific community needs that ultimately increase student performance in school. The child opportunity zone shall provide a means to integrate education, health, and social services into schools and link families to the school and community resources. The child opportunity zone may operate programs, including, but not limited to: early childhood initiatives; before-school, after-school and summer enrichment; family engagement initiatives; adult education and family literacy programs based upon community needs.