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A04004 Summary:

A04004 Actions:

A04004 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A4004
 
SPONSOR: Crespo

 
TITLE OF BILL:
 
An act to amend the mental hygiene law and the education law, in
relation to mandatory continuing education for teachers relating to
mental health issues
 
 
PURPOSE:
 
Relates to mandatory continuing education for teachers relating to
mental health issues.
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:
 
Our youth spend more time in school than they do anywhere else except
their own home. School is one of the best places for both educators and
students to become increasingly aware of mental health, mental health
problems and mental disorders. Thusly, making school one of the most
efficient places to use in developing and delivering interventions that
can improve youth mental health effectively and efficiently.
 
The Mental Health First Aid curriculum is unique in that it is aimed at
nonprofessional audiences and specifically seeks to aid in reducing
social distance, increase help-seeking and helping behaviors and provide
strategies to assist an individual in crisis.
 
Professionals from the Offices of Mental Health, Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse, NYS Department of Health and State education department
shall develop course materials/curriculum which shall be available to
school districts. Below are primary points that emphasize why the notion
of a "first alder" approach is vital to the community.
 
*Mental health problems are common.
*People with mental health problems often face negative attitudes and
discrimination.
*Many people are not well informed about mental health problems.
*Professional help is not always on hand.
*People often do not know how to respond.
*People with mental health problems often do not seek help.
*A continuing education curriculum would assist in educators responding
to their students by;
*Assessing for risk of suicide or harm
*Learning to listen with a non-judgmental attitude
*Sharing reassurance and information with knowledge and confidence
*The correct way to encourage appropriate professional help
*Persuade self-help and other support strategies
 
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
S. 6234 B/ Assembly 9299 of 2015-16 Legislative Session. Died in Higher
Education Committee.
 
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
 
TBD
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately

A04004 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          4004
 
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 30, 2017
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. CRESPO, SEPULVEDA, RICHARDSON -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Education
 
        AN ACT to amend the  mental  hygiene  law  and  the  education  law,  in
          relation  to  mandatory  continuing education for teachers relating to
          mental health issues

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
     3    (d) The commissioner in consultation with the office of alcoholism and
     4  substance  abuse services, the department of health and with the commis-
     5  sioner of the department of education, shall develop course materials to
     6  be offered as part of the required continuing teacher and leader  educa-
     7  tion  requirements pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision two of section
     8  three thousand six-a of the education law.  Such training shall include,
     9  but not be limited to:
    10    1. continuing education courses;
    11    2. programs and activities related to mental health;
    12    3. eating disorders;
    13    4. behavioral health disorders;
    14    5. best practices for improving the overall learning environment;
    15    6. safe de-escalation of crisis situations;
    16    7. identifying signs and symptoms, including early  stages  of  mental
    17  illness and behavioral health issues; and
    18    8.  the  use  of  evidence  based training programs including, but not
    19  limited to, mental health first aid or core elements of such programs to
    20  the extent practicable.
    21    § 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of  the  education
    22  law,  as added by section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the
    23  laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00728-02-7
        A. 4004                             2
 
     1    a. During each five-year registration period  beginning  on  or  after
     2  July  first,  two  thousand sixteen, an applicant for registration shall
     3  successfully complete a minimum  of  one  hundred  hours  of  continuing
     4  teacher  and  leader  education,  as defined by the commissioner.   Such
     5  continuing  teacher  and  leader education shall include, at least twice
     6  during the five-year registration period, but not be limited to continu-
     7  ing  education  courses,  programs  and  activities  related  to  mental
     8  illness, eating disorders and behavioral health disorders as pursuant to
     9  paragraph  d  of  section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law. The department
    10  shall issue rigorous standards for courses, programs, and  activities[,]
    11  that  shall  qualify as continuing teacher and leader education pursuant
    12  to this section. For purposes of this section, a peer review teacher, or
    13  a principal acting as an independent  trained  evaluator,  conducting  a
    14  classroom  observation as part of the teacher evaluation system pursuant
    15  to section three thousand twelve-d of this article may credit such  time
    16  towards  his or her continuing teacher and leader effectiveness require-
    17  ments.
    18    § 3. The commissioner of education is  authorized  to  promulgate  any
    19  rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
    20    §  4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    21  ing the date on which it shall have become  a  law;  provided,  however,
    22  that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
    23  rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of the provisions of
    24  this  act  on  its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
    25  and completed on or before such effective date.