Subchapter I-C. Youth Behavioral Health.
Part A. Youth Behavioral Health Epidemiology Report.
§ 2–1517.01. Definitions.
For the purposes of this part, the term:
(1) “Behavioral health” means a person’s overall social, emotional, and psychological well-being and development.
(2) “Youth” means individuals under 18 years of age residing in the District and those individuals classified as youth in the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and the Child and Family Services Agency who are 21 years of age or younger.
§ 2–1517.02. Youth behavioral health epidemiological report.
By March 30, 2013, and every 5 years thereafter, the Mayor shall submit a report to the Council on the behavioral health of District youth. At minimum, the report shall include:
(1) The type and prevalence of behavioral health conditions among youth broken down, if possible, by age, gender, race, ward residence, and sexual orientation;
(2) The level of utilization of behavioral health services by youth and the location of the services accessed; and
(3) An analysis of any barriers or obstacles preventing youth from accessing behavioral health services and recommendations for making the services more accessible.
Part B. Early Childhood and School-Based Behavioral Health Infrastructure.
§ 2–1517.31. Definitions.
For the purposes of this part, the term:
(1) “Behavioral health” means a person’s overall social, emotional, and psychological well-being and development.
(1A) "DC Prevention Center" means a District of Columbia neighborhood-based center that promotes healthy, drug-free living.
(2) “Health education standards” means the specific learning requirements related to health that the Office of the State Superintendent of Education requires students to learn at each academic level, from pre-K through 12th grade.
(3) "Resilience building" means the process by which individuals become better at reframing thought patterns and tapping into a strengths-based approach to working through obstacles.
(4) "School behavioral health coordinator" means a public or public charter school employee who coordinates behavioral health services and referrals.
§ 2–1517.32. Early childhood and school-based behavioral health comprehensive plan.
(a) By March 30, 2013, the Mayor shall submit a comprehensive plan to the Council for the expansion of early childhood and school-based behavioral health programs and services by the 2016-2017 school year. At minimum, the plan shall:
(1) Establish a strategy to enhance behavioral health services in all public schools and public charter schools, including:
(A) The implementation of programs that:
(i) Include interventions for families of students with behavioral health needs;
(ii) Reduce aggressive and impulsive behavior; and
(iii) Promote social and emotional competency in students; and
(B) The expansion of school-based mental health services as follows:
(i) By the 2014-2015 school year, services are available to at least 50% of all public and public charter school students;
(ii) By the 2015-2016 school year, services are available to at least 75% of all public and public charter school students; and
(iii) By the 2016-2017 school year, services are available to all public and public charter school students;
(2) Include an analysis of whether current health education standards align with actual behavioral health needs of youth and any recommendations for proposed changes; and
(3) Provide recommendations for the expansion of behavioral health programs and services at child development facilities.
(b)(1) The Mayor shall not alter the school-based behavioral health programs and services model for the 2017-2018 school year.
(2) There is established a Task Force on School Mental Health ("Task Force") to steer the creation of a comprehensive plan to expand school-based behavioral health programs and services. The Task Force shall consist of the following:
(A) The Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services or his or her designee, to co-chair the task force;
(B) The Deputy Mayor for Education or his or her designee;
(C) The Director of the Department of Behavioral Health or his or her designee;
(D) The State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee;
(E) A Department of Behavioral Health school mental health program clinician appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Health, in consultation with committee members;
(F) The Chairperson of the Committee on Health or his or her designee;
(G) The Chairperson of the Committee on Education or his or her designee;
(H) A Department of Behavioral Health school mental health program clinician appointed by the Mayor;
(I) A representative of a core service agency appointed by the Mayor;
(J) A non-core service agency school mental health provider appointed by the Mayor;
(K) A District of Columbia Public Schools representative appointed by the Mayor;
(L) A parent of a District of Columbia Public Schools student and a parent of a District of Columbia public charter school student appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Education, in consultation with committee members;
(M) A non-core service agency school mental health provider appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Education, in consultation with committee members;
(N) A District of Columbia public charter school representative appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Education, in consultation with committee members;
(O) A representative of a core service agency appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Health, in consultation with committee members; and
(P) A school mental health expert appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Health, in consultation with committee members, to co-chair the task force.
(3) The Task Force shall review the comprehensive plan submitted to the Committee on Health and the Committee on Education on May 9, 2017, by the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services ("Deputy Mayor").
(4) By February 9, 2018, the Task Force shall provide a report to the Council and the Mayor that includes the following:
(A) An evaluation of the comprehensive plan submitted under paragraph (3) of this subsection, including the following:
(i) Any shortcomings or defects in the plan;
(ii) An analysis of healthcare provider interest in participating in the plan;
(iii) An analysis of healthcare provider capacity to participate in the plan; and
(iv) District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Columbia public charter schools interest in participating in the plan;
(B) An analysis of the school mental health programs and providers currently operating in District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Columbia public charter schools, including best practices;
(C) An analysis of the Department of Behavioral Health's current school mental health program ("SMHP") to determine what schools participate in the SMHP and what activities occur across the schools, including an analysis of available Department of Behavioral health data, such as the following:
(i) The number of psychiatric admits for children by school;
(ii) The number of children with an individualized education plan; and
(iii) Existing SMHP data for the number of sessions and number of clients per school;
(D) A comprehensive plan to expand school-based behavioral health programs and services, which shall include:
(i) The Task Force's proposed changes to the Deputy Mayor's comprehensive plan under paragraph (3) of this subsection;
(ii) A timeline for implementation of the Task Force's comprehensive plan;
(iii) A funding source for the Task Force's comprehensive plan;
(iv) A workforce development strategy;
(v) The District-wide need for school-based behavioral health programs and services; and
(vi) Evaluation criteria to determine the common metrics all school mental health providers should collect so indicators of success may be reported across providers.
§ 2–1517.33. School-based behavioral health student peer educator pilot.
(a) In Fiscal Year 2024, the Department of Behavioral Health ("DBH") shall award by December 31, 2023, up to 2 grants totaling $325,000 to non-governmental entities to train and supervise, in total, at least 100 high school student behavioral health peer educators ("peer educators"). Peer educators shall work in public and public charter schools as behavioral health peer educators and perform the functions identified in subsections (d) and (e) of this section.
(a-1) In Fiscal Year 2025, DBH shall award by October 15, 2024, grants totaling $325,000 to the same non-governmental entities that received a grant under subsection (a) of this section to continue to train and supervise peer educators to perform the functions identified in subsections (d) and (e) of this section.
(b) To qualify for a grant, an applicant shall:
(1) Submit an application that specifies:
(A) At least 3 public and public charter school high schools, with a preference for schools identified in Cohort 1 of the DBH School Based Behavioral Health Program expansion or located in Wards 5, 7, or 8, that the applicant intends to partner with;
(B) The maximum number of peer educators the applicant plans to recruit, train, and supervise;
(C) The types of interventions it will train peer educators to perform; and
(D) Target numbers for each intervention type;
(2) Be located in the District;
(3) Have experience providing workshops and programming to youth ages 14 to 21 on behavioral health, resiliency, and workforce readiness; and
(4) Agree to:
(A) Create a plan to reach at least 25% of the students, calculated by the in-seat attendance rate, at each school the applicant partners with;
(B) Recruit, train, and supervise at least 50 peer educators to work during the 2023-2024 school year; provided, that if only one grantee is selected, the grantee shall agree to train at least 100 peer educators;
(C) Compensate peer educators with a monthly stipend of no less than $200;
(D) On a monthly basis, provide peer educators with training and supervision, including at least 4 hours of training or supervision in person, as follows:
(i) At least 8 hours of behavioral health training;
(ii) At least 2 hours of training in workforce readiness, self-advocacy and personal agency, career exploration, life skills, and financial literacy; and
(iii) At least 4 hours of supervision;
(E) Provide quarterly reports to DBH that shall include:
(i) A list of public and public charter students working as peer educators;
(ii) A list of activities and interventions performed by peer educators;
(iii) The total number of training hours conducted with peer educators and the topics covered, including the number of peer educators who participated in each training session;
(iv) A list of the training topics that were covered during the reporting period; and
(v) Progress made on objectives and benchmarks identified in the grant agreement.
(c)(1) If there is more than one grantee, DBH shall provide an additional $25,000 from the funds identified in subsection (a) of this section to one of the grantees to serve as the coordinating organization for the pilot program. If only one grantee is selected, that grantee shall perform the duties of the coordinating organization.
(2) The coordinating grantee organization shall:
(A) Develop and collect behavioral health training curricula for peer educator training;
(B) Collect and share on a public dashboard or database data on peer educators' activities;
(C) Compile and maintain a public dashboard or database of information on the public and public charter schools in the pilot program, which shall include:
(i) The contact information and school location of clinicians and peer educators;
(ii) Information on school services and programs; and
(iii) A method for students and caregivers to make appointments with behavioral health staff and submit referrals for services.
(d) Peer educators shall perform at least 3 of the following activities:
(1) Conducting behavioral health classroom presentations and trainings;
(2) Working with public and public charter school clinicians and staff to co-lead support groups;
(3) Distributing paper and electronic materials on behavioral health and resilience-building topics;
(4) Distributing paper and electronic materials to public and public charter students on school and community behavioral health services, programs, and resources; and
(5) Conducting individual education sessions with public and public charter students on behavioral health and resilience-building topics.
(e) Peer educators may perform the following additional activities:
(1) Creating and leading school and community events and programs;
(2) Creating a website that includes public and public charter school behavioral health services and resources and behavioral health educational information;
(3) Surveying public and public charter students regarding their ability to access school and community-based behavioral health resources;
(4) Partnering with a DC Prevention Center to increase youth access to drug prevention resources;
(5) Partnering with governmental and non-governmental youth and adult peer support specialists; and
(6) Any other activities or interventions that increase public and public charter school student access to school and community based behavioral health services and resources, and behavioral health information.
(f) DBH shall provide to the grantees and peer educators the contact information, including phone number, email address, and office location, of public and public charter school clinicians and school behavioral health coordinators and connect grantees and peer educators with the clinicians and school behavioral health coordinators and with the operators of the DC Prevention Centers.
Part C. Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Infrastructure.
§ 2–1517.51. Family resource guide.
(a) By October 1, 2013, the Mayor shall create a comprehensive resource guide for families who come into contact with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. The guide shall include:
(1) A clear explanation of the rights and responsibilities of children and families;
(2) The role of District agencies, including the:
(A) Child and Family Services Agency;
(B) Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services;
(C) Department of Mental Health; and
(D) Department of Health Care Finance;
(3) The role of the courts;
(4) District government and non-governmental resources related to behavioral health, including contact information; and
(5) Websites for District government agencies and nongovernment resources related to behavioral health.
(b) The resource guide shall be:
(1) Made publicly available on the Internet;
(2) Updated as necessary, along with updates of the information described in subsection (a)(4) and (5) of this section; and
(3) Made available to other District agencies for distribution.
§ 2–1517.52. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services behavioral health and compliance report.
The Mayor shall submit a report to the Council by March 30 of each year, which shall include:
(1) The number of youth:
(A) Who were committed to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (“DYRS”) during the previous calendar year;
(B) Who received the required behavioral health screening;
(C) Whose behavioral health screening identified a need for further behavioral health assessment;
(D) Who received a behavioral health assessment; and
(E) Who were referred to appropriate services;
(2) The reasons why a committed youth in DYRS did not receive the required behavioral health screening or behavioral health assessment, if any; and
(3) If necessary, recommendations on how DYRS can ensure that all of its committed youth are receiving the required behavioral health screenings and behavioral health assessments along with an estimate of the time it will take to meet that requirement.
