(16) Mental health assistance allocation. — The mental health assistance allocation is created to provide funding to assist school districts in establishing or expanding school-based mental health care; train educators and other school staff in detecting and responding to mental health issues; and connect children, youth, and families who may experience behavioral health issues with appropriate services. These funds shall be allocated annually in the General Appropriations Act or other law to each eligible school district. Each school district shall receive a minimum of $100,000, with the remaining balance allocated based on each school district’s proportionate share of the state’s total unweighted full-time equivalent student enrollment. Charter schools that submit a plan separate from the school district are entitled to a proportionate share of district funding. The allocated funds may not supplant funds that are provided for this purpose from other operating funds and may not be used to increase salaries or provide bonuses. School districts are encouraged to maximize third-party health insurance benefits and Medicaid claiming for services, where appropriate. (b) The plans required under paragraph (a) must be focused on a multi-tiered system of supports to deliver evidence-based mental health care assessment, diagnosis, intervention, treatment, and recovery services to students with one or more mental health or co-occurring substance abuse diagnoses and to students at high risk of such diagnoses. The provision of these services must be coordinated with a student’s primary mental health care provider and with other mental health providers involved in the student’s care. At a minimum, the plans must include the following elements: 4. Strategies or programs to reduce the likelihood of at risk students developing social, emotional, or behavioral health problems, depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal tendencies, or substance use disorders.

5. Strategies to improve the early identification of social, emotional, or behavioral problems or substance use disorders, to improve the provision of early intervention services, and to assist students in dealing with trauma and violence.

(3) Any school district, school, or laboratory school which desires to receive state funding under the provisions of this section shall submit a proposal to the joint committee established in subsection (2). The proposal shall state the goals of the program, provide specific plans for reducing teenage pregnancy, and describe all of the health services to be available to students with funds provided pursuant to this section, including a combination of initiatives such as health education, counseling, extracurricular, and self-esteem components. School health services shall not promote elective termination of pregnancy as a part of counseling services. Only those program proposals which have been developed jointly by county health departments and local school districts or schools, and which have community and parental support, shall be eligible for funding. Funding shall be available specifically for implementation of one of the following programs:

• (a) School health improvement pilot project. — The program shall include basic health care to an elementary school, middle school, and high school feeder system. Program services shall include, but not be limited to:
• 1. Planning, implementing, and evaluating school health services. Staffing shall include a full-time, trained school health aide in each elementary, middle, and high school; one full-time nurse to supervise the aides in the elementary and middle schools; and one full-time nurse in each high school.
• 2. Providing student health appraisals and identification of actual or potential health problems by screenings, nursing assessments, and record reviews.
• 3. Expanding screening activities.
• 4. Improving the student utilization of school health services.
• 5. Coordinating health services for students with parents or guardians and other agencies in the community.
• (b) Student support services team program. — The program shall include a multidisciplinary team composed of a psychologist, social worker, and nurse whose responsibilities are to provide basic support services and to assist, in the school setting, children who exhibit mild to severely complex health, behavioral, or learning problems affecting their school performance. Support services shall include, but not be limited to: evaluation and treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, referral and followup for serious illnesses and emergencies, onsite care and consultation, referral to a physician, and followup care for pregnancy or chronic diseases and disorders as well as emotional or mental problems. Services also shall include referral care for drug and alcohol abuse and sexually transmitted diseases, sports and employment physicals, immunizations, and in addition, effective preventive services aimed at delaying early sexual involvement and aimed at pregnancy, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, and destructive lifestyle conditions, such as alcohol and drug abuse. Moneys for this program shall be used to fund three teams, each consisting of one half-time psychologist, one full-time nurse, and one full-time social worker.

(1) Grant program. —

• (a) In order to encourage the development of effective substance abuse prevention and early intervention strategies for school-age populations, the school substance abuse prevention partnership grant program is established. *(b) The department shall administer the program in cooperation with the Department of Education and the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(2) Application procedures; funding requirements. —

• (a) Schools, or community-based organizations in partnership with schools, may submit a grant proposal for funding or continued funding to the department by March 1 of each year. The department shall establish grant application procedures which ensure that grant recipients implement programs and practices that are effective. The department shall include the grant application document on an Internet website.
• (b) Grants may fund programs to conduct prevention activities serving students who are not involved in substance use, intervention activities serving students who are experimenting with substance use, or both prevention and intervention activities, if a comprehensive approach is indicated as a result of a needs assessment.
• (c) Grants may target youth, parents, and teachers and other school staff, coaches, social workers, case managers, and other prevention stakeholders.
• (d) Performance measures for grant program activities shall measure improvements in student attitudes or behaviors as determined by the department.
• (e) At least 50 percent of the grant funds available for local projects must be allocated to support the replication of prevention programs and practices that are based on research and have been evaluated and proven effective. The department shall develop related qualifying criteria.