“To increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health services providers by low-income local educational agencies.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes definitions for purposes of the Act, including "best practices" (i.e., techniques proven through experience and research to reliably achieve results in school-based mental health fields); "eligible graduate institution" (i.e., an institution of higher education offering an accredited master's or other graduate program in school psychology, school counseling, school social work, or another school-based mental health field that prepares students for state licensing or certification); "low-income local educational agency" (i.e., a local educational agency serving at least 20% of students from families below the poverty line with student-to-provider ratios of no better than 1 counselor per 275 students, 1 psychologist per 500 students, and 1 social worker per 250 students); and "eligible partnership" (i.e., a partnership between one or more low-income local educational agencies and one or more eligible graduate institutions, or between a state educational agency on behalf of such agencies and eligible graduate institutions in regions lacking sufficient student population for placements). The section further defines "institution of higher education" as having the meaning given in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002) but excluding institutions described in subsection (a)(1)(C) (i.e., foreign institutions approved solely for Direct Loans under part D of title IV); "participating graduate" (i.e., a licensed graduate of a participating eligible graduate institution who completed required fieldwork, internships, or training in a school served by a participating low-income local educational agency); and other related terms.
This section establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Education to eligible partnerships (led by eligible graduate institutions) for pipeline programs that train, place, and retain school-based mental health services providers (i.e., counselors, social workers, psychologists) in low-income local educational agencies (LEAs). Grants are for 5-year periods, renewable upon a showing of adequate progress. Applications must include (1) an assessment of current provider-to-student ratios in partner low-income LEAs and (2) a plan for using funds on specified activities (e.g., administrative costs for graduate student training). The Secretary must establish a peer review panel of at least 10 members with specified expertise (e.g., faculty in school counseling/social work/psychology/teacher education; practitioners from public/low-income schools; administrators; teachers; community providers) to evaluate applications and make recommendations, which the Secretary must consider (providing explanations to Congress if not followed). In awarding grants, the Secretary must give the first five to partnerships from five different states and priority to those (A) targeting schools with higher numbers or percentages of low-income students or those not proficient on state assessments under 20 U.S.C. 6311(b); (B) partnering with LEAs having fewer providers per student; (C) including graduate institutions offering more programs in school-based mental health fields; or (D) collaborating with other higher education institutions.
This section establishes a program to repay up to $200,000 in principal and interest on eligible federal student loans—Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and other loans under title IV parts B, D, and E of the Higher Education Act of 1965—for school-based mental health services providers employed full-time by low-income local educational agencies. Eligible participants are recent higher education graduates or mid-career professionals newly entering the field who enter five-year employment agreements with annual verification by the Secretary of Education, receiving payments of 1/5 of the outstanding balance after each of the first four consecutive school years and the remainder after the fifth. No repayment is required for partially completed service completed in good faith; participants remain eligible if their agency loses low-income status after year one; benefits may be received concurrently with Public Service Loan Forgiveness (with each program year counting as 12 months of qualifying payments); the Secretary must maintain a directory of qualifying agencies and allow 90-day reconsiderations of noncompliance determinations; and such sums as necessary are authorized to be appropriated.
This section directs the Secretary to conduct a study to identify a formula for future designation of regions served by low-income local educational agencies with shortages of school-based mental health services providers, for use in grant programs under this Act and related programs. The formula must be based on the latest available data for such areas on (1) residents under age 18; (2) population percentage below the poverty line; (3) residents age 18 or older with high school diplomas; (4) students eligible for special education services; (5) youth crime rate; (6) full-time-equivalent school-based mental health services providers (aggregate and by profession); (7) students in military families with parents alerted for deployment, deployed, or returned from deployment in the prior school year; and (8) other criteria deemed appropriate by the Secretary. The Secretary must submit a report on the study's findings to Congress not later than two years after enactment.