HB 24-1406

House Bill 24-1406, titled "School-Based Mental Health Support Program," aims to improve mental health services for Colorado students by training public school educators to provide evidence-based care. The bill requires the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) to contract with an external provider to implement this program in at least 400 schools by the start of the 2027-28 school year, prioritizing rural and underserved areas. It allocates $2.5 million from the state's general fund for the BHA to manage the program and select a contractor. The bill was signed into law on April 18, 2024, and is now effective.

Official Summary

The act creates the school-based mental health support program (program) in the behavioral health administration (BHA) to provide high-quality training, resources, and implementation and sustainment support for the existing public school educator workforce to provide evidence-based mental health services to students through a contract with an external provider. The program emphasizes supporting schools in rural areas and schools with students who do not have equitable access to mental health care. No later than January 1, 2025, the act requires the BHA to contract with an external provider to implement the program no later than the start of the 2025-26 school year. The act requires the BHA to collaborate with the external provider to determine the cost of implementing the program in at least 400 public schools by the start of the 2027-28 school year. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $2,500,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the BHA to administer the program. The BHA may use up to $100,000 of the funds to select the external provider. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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