D.C. Law 22-98. School Health Innovations Grant Program Amendment Act of 2018.

AN ACT

To establish the School Health Innovations Grant program to award grants to operators of health care clinics that partner with District of Columbia public schools and public charter schools to give students, and the communities that surround the schools, opportunities to access behavioral health care services; and to amend the Early Childhood and School-based Behavioral Health Infrastructure Act of 2012 to extend the deadline for the Task Force on School Mental Health to provide a report to the Council and the Mayor.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "School Health Innovations Grant Program Amendment Act of 2018".

TITLE I. CREATION OF A SCHOOL HEALTH INNOVATIONS GRANT PPROGRAM

Sec. 101. Definitions.

For the purposes of this title, the term:

(1) "D.C. School" means a District of Columbia public school or public charter school.

(2) "Department" means the Department of Health Care Finance.

(3) "Health care provider" means a physician, clinic, hospital, or neighborhood health center, licensed by the District of Columbia, that provides services that address an individual's overall social, emotional, and psychological well-being and development.

(4) "Program" means the School Health Innovations Grant Program established by section 102.

(5) "Social services provider" means an organization that provides individuals with assistance in accessing services to address social determinants of health, including employment, education, nutrition assistance, or other needs.

Sec. 102. School Health Innovations Grant Program.

(a) There is established the School Health Innovations Grant Program to expand access to comprehensive behavioral health care services by providing grants to health care providers that partner with District of Columbia public schools and public charter schools to give students, and the communities that surround the schools, opportunities to access behavioral health care services, including through the incorporation of remote computer access.

(b) The Department shall administer the Program and shall award innovation grants of up to $400,000 each, to up to 8 health care providers that participate in the Program.

(c) Each health care provider that participates in the Program shall partner with a D.C. School and establish a school-based health care clinic within the D.C. School that offers the following:

(1) Screenings for behavioral health and social determinants of health needs;

(2) Referrals to health care and social services providers;

(3) Community health care navigation services; and

(4) On-demand access to health care provider services via real time computer access.

(d) The school-based clinic shall coordinate student care with the students' parents and the students' primary care providers regarding follow-up care, including care plans and plans for continued care made by the participating health care provider and for in-person appointments with social service providers.

(e) A health care provider that receives a grant under the Program and the partnering D.C. School may agree to extend the services of the school-based clinic to include a community-based clinic that provides services to D.C. School employees, family members of the students, and the local neighborhood community that surrounds the D.C. School. If the grant recipient and the partnering D.C. School elect to establish a community-based clinic, the clinic shall be available to the residents of the surrounding community only after regular school hours of the D.C. School and shall be staffed with health professionals capable of providing patient centered primary health care.

Sec. 103. Application process.

To participate in the Program, a health care provider shall file an application with the Department on a form to be prescribed by the Department. The application prescribed by the Department shall require the following information:

(1) A memorandum of understanding executed between the health care provider and the principal of the participating D.C. School;

(2) The health care provider's plans to:

(A) Operate the school-based clinic, including clinical staff and other health services to be offered;

(B) Promote health literacy;

(C) Coordinate care with parents and the students' primary care providers regarding any follow-up care including, treatment plans, plans for continued care made by the health care provider, or for in-person appointments with social services providers;

(D) Obtain consent from parents to allow student participation;

(E) Engage parents to ensure utilization of the school-based clinic;

(F) Engage school administrators in integrating existing health-related services offered by the school;

(G) Obtain reimbursement for the health care services provided; and

(H) Engage the surrounding community;

(3) Funds needed to implement the health care provider's plans listed in paragraph (2) of this section;

(4) Projected number of schools to which the health care provider could extend the proposed model, and the incremental cost estimates for each additional school, if applicable; and

(5) Other information as determined by the Department.

Sec. 104. Evaluation of health care clinic operations.

Health care providers participating in the Program shall electronically track and submit to the Department on a semiannual basis the following information for the purposes of evaluation of the health care clinic and determining the scalability of the health care clinic's model:

(1) Number of student referrals made to health care providers and social services providers;

(2) Number of student screenings completed for behavioral health and social services needs;

(3) Number of students connected to behavioral health services and social services;

(4) Gross revenue received from health insurance plans, Medicaid, and other reimbursements;

(5) An evaluation of the most efficient manner to run the school-based clinic, and community-based clinic, if applicable, including alternative staff composition; and

(6) The identification of other schools to which the school-based clinic model could be expanded, including the incremental and total cost of the expansion.

Sec. 105. Ownership of health records.

The health care provider shall own all the medical records associated with the operation of a school-based clinic, and community-based clinic, if applicable, and shall maintain the medical records in accordance with District and federal law.

TITLE II. TASK FORCE ON SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH

Sec. 201. Section 203(b)(4) of the Early Childhood and School-based Behavioral Health Infrastructure Act of 2012, effective June 7, 2012 (D.C. Law 19-141; D.C. Official Code § 2-1517.32(b)(4)), is amended by striking the phrase "By February 9, 2018" and inserting the phrase "No later than March 31, 2018" in its place.

TITLE III. APPLICABILITY; FISCAL IMPACT; EFFECTIVE DATE

Sec. 301. Applicability.

(a) Title I of this act shall apply upon the date of inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan.

(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council of the certification.

(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in the District of Columbia Register.

(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the applicability of this act.

Sec. 302. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 303. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.

Law Information

Cites

  • D.C. Law 22-98 (PDF)
  • D.C. Act 22-282 (PDF)
  • 65 DCR 2874

Effective

May 5, 2018

Legislative History (LIMS)

Law 22-98, the “School Health Innovations Grant Program Amendment Act of 2018,” was introduced in the Council and assigned Bill No. 22-232 which was referred to the Committee on Health. The bill was adopted on first and second readings on Jan. 9, 2018, and Feb. 6, 2018, respectively. After mayoral review, it was assigned Act No. 22-282 on Mar. 15, 2018, and transmitted to Congress for its review. D.C. Law 22-98 became effective May 5, 2018.