(a) A school distric shall consider the following best practices for truancy prevention measures: (9) At the beginning of each school year, conduct a needs assessment and identify and list, or map, services and programs available within the school district and the community that a school, a student, or a student's parent or guardian may access to address the student's barriers to attendance and make the information available to staff, students, and parents. The information must include, but is not limited to: (A) services for pregnant and parenting students; (B) services for students experiencing homelessness; (C) services for students in foster care; (D) federal programs including, but not limited to, Title 1, Part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; (E) state programs including, but not limited to, State Compensatory Education programs; (F) dropout prevention programs and programs for at risk youth; (G) programs that occur outside of school time; (H) counseling services; (I) tutoring programs and services available at no or low cost; (J) mental health services; (K) alcohol and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs; (L) mentoring programs and services; (M) juvenile justice services and programs; (N) child welfare services and programs; (O) other state or locally funded programs for truancy prevention and intervention; and * (P) other supportive services that are locally available for students and families through faith-based organizations, local governments, and community-based organizations. Source: Texas Secretary of State

(d) Suicide prevention training that is required by the TEC, § 21.451(d), and was provided to existing educators by a school district or open-enrollment charter school on or after September 1, 2013, may be used to meet the requirements of this section if the training program is on the recommended best practice-based list maintained by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), in coordination with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), or is an online program that meets the TEA guidelines for independent review.

The agency, in coordination with the Health and Human Services Commission, shall establish and maintain an Internet website to provide resources for school district or open-enrollment charter school employees regarding working with students with mental health conditions or who engage in substance abuse. The agency must include on the Internet website information about: (1) grief-informed and trauma-informed practices; (2) building skills related to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and responsible decision-making; (3) positive behavior interventions and supports; and (4) a safe and supportive school climate.

(a) The agency shall develop a rubric for use by regional education service centers in identifying resources related to student mental health that are available to schools in their respective regions. The agency shall develop the rubric in conjunction with: (1) the Health and Human Services Commission; (2) the Department of Family and Protective Services; (3) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; (4) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; (5) the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium; (6) the Texas Workforce Commission; and (7) any other state agency the agency considers appropriate. (b) The rubric developed by the agency must provide for the identification of resources relating to: (1) training and technical assistance on practices that support the mental health of students; (2) school-based programs that provide prevention or intervention services to students; (3) community-based programs that provide school-based or school-connected prevention or intervention services to students; (4) Communities In Schools programs described by Subchapter E, Chapter 33; (5) school-based mental health providers; and (6) public and private funding sources available to address the mental health of students. (c) Not later than December 1 of each odd-numbered year, the agency shall revise the rubric as necessary to reflect changes in resources that may be available to schools and provide the rubric to each regional education service center.

(a) Each regional education service center shall use the rubric developed under Section 38.251 to identify resources related to student mental health available to schools in the center’s region, including evidence-based and promising programs and best practices, that: (1) create school environments that support the social, emotional, and academic development of students; (2) identify students who may need additional behavioral or mental health support before issues arise; (3) provide early, effective interventions to students in need of additional support; (4) connect students and their families to specialized services in the school or community when needed; and (5) assist schools in aligning resources necessary to address the mental health of students. (b) A regional education service center may consult with any entity the center considers necessary in identifying resources under Subsection (a), including: (1) school districts; (2) local mental health authorities; (3) community mental health services providers; (4) education groups; (5) hospitals; and (6) institutions of higher education. (c) Not later than March 1 of each even-numbered year, each regional education service center shall: (1) use the revised rubric received from the agency under Section 38.251 to identify, in the manner provided by this section, any additional resources that may be available to schools in the center’s region; and \ (2) submit to the agency a report on resources identified through the process, including any additional resources identified under Subdivision (1).

(a) The agency shall develop a list of statewide resources available to school districts to address the mental health of students, including: (1) training and technical assistance on practices that support the mental health of students; (2) school-based programs that provide prevention or intervention services to students; (3) community-based programs that provide school-based or school-connected prevention or intervention services to students; (4) school-based mental health providers; and (5) public and private funding sources available to address the mental health of students. (b) In developing the list required under Subsection (a), the agency shall collaborate with: (1) the Health and Human Services Commission; (2) the Department of Family and Protective Services; (3) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; (4) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; (5) the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium; (6) the Texas Workforce Commission; (7) one or more representatives of Communities In Schools programs described by Subchapter E, Chapter 33, who are designated by the Communities In Schools State Office; (8) hospitals or other health care providers; (9) community service providers; (10) parent, educator, and advocacy groups; and (11) any entity the agency determines can assist the agency in compiling the list. (c) The agency shall include on the list any resource available through an entity identified as a resource under Subsection (b), including an entity described by Subsection (b), that provides evidence-based and promising programs and best practices that: (1) create school environments that support the social, emotional, and academic development of students; (2) identify students who may need additional behavioral or mental health support before issues arise; (3) provide early, effective interventions to students in need of additional support; and (4) connect students and their families to specialized services in the school or community when needed. (d) The agency shall revise the list not later than March 1 of each even-numbered year.

(a) The agency shall develop a statewide plan to ensure all students have access to adequate mental health resources. The agency shall include in the plan: (1) a description of any revisions made to the rubric required by Section 38.251; (2) the results of the most recent regional inventory of mental health resources required by Section 38.252, including any additional resources identified; (3) the results of the most recent statewide inventory of mental health resources required by Section 38.253, including any additional resources identified; (4) the agency’s goals for student mental health access to be applied across the state, including goals relating to: (A) methods to objectively measure positive school climate; (B) increasing the availability of early, effective school-based or school-connected mental health interventions and resources for students in need of additional support; and (C) increasing the availability of referrals for students and families to specialized services for students in need of additional support outside the school; (5) a list of actions the commissioner may take without legislative action to help all districts reach the agency’s goals described by the plan; and (6) recommendations to the legislature on methods to ensure that all districts can meet the agency’s goals described in the plan through legislative appropriations or other action by the legislature. (b) In developing the agency’s goals under Subsection (a)(4), the agency shall consult with any person the agency believes is necessary to the development of the goals, including: (1) educators; (2) mental health practitioners; (3) advocacy groups; and (4) parents. (c) The agency shall revise the plan not later than April 1 of each even-numbered year. (d) As soon as practicable after completing or revising the plan, the agency shall: (1) submit an electronic copy of the plan to the legislature; (2) post the plan on the agency’s Internet website; and (3) hold public meetings in each regional education service center’s region to present the statewide plan and shall provide an opportunity for public comment at each meeting.

(a) The agency shall use the statewide plan for student mental health required by Section 38.254 to develop and revise the agency’s long-term strategic plan. (b) The agency shall use the recommendations to the legislature required by Section 38.254(a)(6) to develop each agency legislative appropriations request.

In addition to any other information required to be provided to the legislature under this chapter, not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year the agency shall provide to the legislature: (1) a description of any changes the agency has made to the rubric required by Section 38.251; and (2) an analysis of each region’s progress toward meeting the agency’s goals developed under Section 38.254.

The Collaborative Task Force on Public School Mental Health Services is established to study and evaluate: (1) mental health services that are funded by this state and provided at a school district or open-enrollment charter school directly to: (A) a student enrolled in the district or school; (B) a parent or family member of or person standing in parental relation to a student enrolled in the district or school; or (C) an employee of the district or school; (2) training provided to an educator employed by the district or school to provide the mental health services described by Subdivision (1); and (3) the impact the mental health services described by Subdivision (1) have on: (A) the number of violent incidents that occur at school districts or open-enrollment charter schools; (B) the suicide rate of the individuals who are provided the mental health services described by Subdivision (1); (C) the number of public school students referred to the Department of Family and Protective Services for investigation services and the reasons for those referrals; (D) the number of individuals who are transported from each school district or open-enrollment charter school for an emergency detention under Chapter 573, Health and Safety Code; and (E) the number of public school students referred to outside counselors in accordance with Section 38.010.

The task force shall: (1) gather data on: (A) the number of students enrolled in each school district and open-enrollment charter school; (B) the number of individuals to whom each school district or open-enrollment charter school provides the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1); (C) the number of individuals for whom each school district or open-enrollment charter school has the resources to provide the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1); (D) the number of individuals described by Paragraph (B) who are referred to an inpatient or outpatient mental health provider; (E) the number of individuals who are transported from each school district or open-enrollment charter school for an emergency detention under Chapter 573, Health and Safety Code; and (F) the race, ethnicity, gender, special education status, educationally disadvantaged status, and geographic location of: (i) individuals who are provided the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1); (ii) individuals who are described by Paragraph (D); and (iii) individuals who are described by Paragraph (E); and (2) study, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1), the training described by Section 38.302(2), and the impact of those mental health services, as described by Section 38.302(3), including addressing: (A) the outcomes and the effectiveness of the services and training provided, including the outcomes and effectiveness of the service and training providers and the programs under which services and training are provided, in: (i) improving student academic achievement and attendance; (ii) reducing student disciplinary proceedings, suspensions, placements in a disciplinary alternative education program, and expulsions; and (iii) delivering prevention and intervention services to promote early mental health skills, including: (a) building skills relating to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions; (b) preventing substance abuse; (c) preventing suicides; (d) adhering to the purpose of the relevant program services or training; (e) promoting trauma-informed practices; (f) promoting a positive school climate, as defined by Section 161.325(a-3), Health and Safety Code, in the district or school; and (g) improving physical and emotional safety and well-being in the district or school and reducing violence in the district or school; (B) best practices for districts and schools in implementing the services or training; (C) disparities in the race, ethnicity, gender, special education status, and geographic location of individuals receiving the services; and (D) best practices to replicate the services or training for all districts and schools.

(a) The department, in coordination with the Texas Education Agency and regional education service centers, shall provide and annually update a list of recommended best practice-based programs and research-based practices in the areas specified under Subsection (a-1) for implementation in public elementary, junior high, middle, and high schools within the general education setting. Each school district may select from the list a program or programs appropriate for implementation in the district.

(a) The commission shall make available on its official Internet website information about the mental health first aid training program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of the program. An electronic link to an outside source of information is not sufficient. (b) The Texas Education Agency shall make available on its official Internet website information about the mental health first aid training program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of the program. An electronic link to an outside source of information is not sufficient.