HB 2368 Pilot program on student mental & behavioral health

HB 2368 VOTE: NO
Died In Committee on 06/26/21
Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2368
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Committees/JWM/Overview

This bill establishes pilot program to promote and support positive student mental and behavioral health by using trauma-informed approaches that are culturally responsive. Requires report on progress of pilot program.

Personal Choice and Responsibility
After kids being locked down for over a year, they want to treat them as mental patience instead of letting them adjust. This is leading up to having all students mentally and emotionally analyzed. There needs to be a criteria for Intervention strategies where parent are required to give consent.

Fiscal Responsibility
General Fund appropriation of $6,767,352 for 2021-23 and $2,771,745 for 2023-25. ODE will award grant recipients $650,000 to cover expenses for the first year of program implementation for a total of six grant recipients and $3.9 million in grants. The grants will be used to hire Social Services Workers, Teachers, and implementing professional development training and substitute teacher costs. ODE would also award grant recipients $200,00 each to cover expenses for data collection and analysis implementing trauma-informed approaches to education, health services and intervention strategies.

Limited Government
Increases state government. Requires Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority to establish pilot program using culturally responsive trauma-informed approaches to support student mental and behavioral health. Establishes program requirements. Requires pilot program distribute funding to two school districts, two education service districts, and two community or culturally specific organizations. Establishes application process and requirements. Establishes application review criteria. Establishes reporting requirements. Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2021.

Local Control
HB 4002 (2016) established a trauma-informed pilot program for the purpose of reducing chronic absenteeism. The measure appropriated $500,000, which was later awarded to pilot trauma-informed approaches in two schools: Tigard High School in the Tigard-Tualatin School District and Central High School in the Central School District. Funding for the pilot was continued by the legislature in 2017. Findings were published in 2019. Among the key findings were the following: trauma-informed school coordinators played a key role in guiding the work and leading implementation efforts; cohorts served to promote readiness and guide schools in implementation; staff training is required to introduce new concepts and increase awareness of trauma-informed practices; and staff members’ self-reported awareness of specific strategies and their usage did not necessarily match. HB 2368A establishes a new, culturally responsive trauma-informed pilot program.