(a) In 1996, the Hawaii state department of education initiated a collaborative and systemic reform known as the Comprehensive Student Support System (CSSS), which provides a continuum of academic, social, emotional, and physical environmental supports and services to all students to facilitate their learning and their meeting of high educational Standard. It is a CSSS community of caring and supportive relationships among students, teachers, families, and agencies working together that promote timely and appropriate services for all students. The goal of the school system is to provide a learning experience that allows all students to achieve the Vision of the Public School Graduate, 2005-2008 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Strategic Plan, State of Hawaii Department of Education, Office of Superintendent, June 2005, in safe, caring, nurturing, and orderly teaching and learning environments.

(b) It is the responsibility of every student to demonstrate respectful, responsible, safe, and ethical behaviors on department of education transportation, or during a department of education sponsored activity on or off school property. The department supports this through the establishment of a proactive systems approach to schoolwide discipline.

Board policy addresses school climate.

The children’s mental health services team shall cooperate with the schools located in their particular geographic region in identifying and referring for treatment such children or youths in need of mental health services. In conjunction with the children’s mental health services team, the department of education and the department of health shall develop a memorandum of agreement which shall provide for a sharing of responsibilities for the affected agencies and shall include but not be limited to provisions for:

• (1) Accepting referrals from the school counselors and diagnostic teams for evaluation and direct treatment of children and youth suffering from mental and emotional disorders;
• (2) Providing consultation to enable teachers and other school personnel to aid in the identification and screening of children in need of professional mental health services and the services of psychologists, as defined in chapter 465;
• (3) Providing training and education about emotional disturbances of children to teachers, school counselors, and parents;
• (4) Assisting the department of education with mental health services and the services of psychologists, as defined in chapter 465 for handicapped children;
• (5) Developing an ongoing mechanism to assess, document and report to the legislature and the governor unmet needs for mental health services for students in each geographic region; and
• (6) Performing other related services for school personnel, children, and parents.