Helping Educators Support All Students Act

Summary: Helping Educators Support All Students Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to support or develop programs that will train teachers, school personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel regarding mental health conditions in children. Includes as grant and subgrant recipients, states and LEAs that partner with a mental health organization, family advocacy organization, or community nonprofit organization. Requires subgrantees to utilize school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, or community organizations with experience in mental illness in developing and conducting the training. Requires the training program to include an annual in-service training component that enables teachers, school personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel to: (1) better understand mental health conditions and the early warning signs in children and adolescents; (2) effectively communicate their mental health concerns with families and consider family perspectives; (3) identify classroom strategies for working effectively with troubled children; and (4) understand school specific information, including links to mental health services and supports in the school and community. Directs the Secretary to develop outcome measures that the Secretary is to use to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the effectiveness of the training programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Educators Support All 
Students Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Approximately 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable mental 
        illness.
            (2) Fifty percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness 
        begin by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24.
            (3) Fifty percent of students with a mental illness, age 14 
        years and older, drop out of high school.
            (4) For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the 
        third leading cause of death, and an estimated 90 percent have 
        a diagnosable mental health condition.
            (5) One in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental 
        illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment, but 
        only 1 in 5 of such children receive specialty mental health 
        services.

SEC. 3. TRAINING TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PROFESSIONALS IN UNDERSTANDING 
              MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN.

    (a) In General.--Subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7131 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 4131. TRAINING TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PROFESSIONALS IN 
              UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
        eligible State educational agencies to enable such agencies to 
        award subgrants to eligible local educational agencies to 
        support an existing, or develop a new, program that will 
        educate teachers, school personnel, and specialized 
        instructional support personnel on mental health conditions in 
        children, including the causes, symptoms, and impact on 
        learning.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this section:
                    ``(A) Eligible local educational agency.--The term 
                `eligible local educational agency' means a local 
                educational agency or a local educational agency in 
                partnership with a mental health organization, family 
                advocacy organization, or community nonprofit 
                organization.
                    ``(B) Eligible state educational agency.--The term 
                `eligible State educational agency' means a State 
                educational agency or a State educational agency in 
                partnership with a mental health organization, family 
                advocacy organization, or community nonprofit 
                organization.
                    ``(C) School personnel.--The term `school 
                personnel' means administrators, administrative staff, 
                custodial staff, cafeteria staff, transportation staff, 
                and other school-employed staff who interact with 
                students.
                    ``(D) Specialized instructional support 
                personnel.--The term `specialized instructional support 
                personnel' means school counselors, school social 
                workers, school psychologists, and other qualified 
                professional personnel involved in providing 
                assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, 
                therapeutic, and other necessary services (including 
                related services, as defined in section 602 of the 
                Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) as part of 
                comprehensive program to meet student needs.
    ``(b) Grants.--
            ``(1) Applications.--An eligible State educational agency 
        that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit 
        an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
        and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
        require.
            ``(2) Activities.--An eligible State educational agency 
        that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant 
        funds to award subgrants to eligible local educational agencies 
        in accordance with subsection (c).
    ``(c) Subgrants.--
            ``(1) Application.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible local educational 
                agency that desires to receive a subgrant under this 
                section shall submit an application to the eligible 
                State educational agency at such time, in such manner, 
                and accompanied by such information as the eligible 
                State educational agency may require.
                    ``(B) Description of utilization.--An application 
                submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include a 
                description of how the local educational agency will 
                utilize school counselors, school psychologists, school 
                social workers, or community organizations with 
                expertise in the lived experience of mental illness, in 
                developing and conducting the training described in 
                paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Training.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible local educational 
                agency that receives a subgrant under this section 
                shall support an existing training program developed by 
                either the school or a community organization with 
                expertise in the lived experience of mental illness, or 
                develop a new program, in which school counselors, 
                school psychologists, and school social workers develop 
                and provide training to teachers, school personnel, and 
                specialized instructional support personnel in 
                understanding the mental health needs of children. Such 
                program shall include an annual in-service training 
                program to enable such teachers, school personnel, and 
                specialized instructional support personnel--
                            ``(i) to better understand mental health 
                        conditions and the early warning signs in 
                        children and adolescents;
                            ``(ii) to best communicate with families 
                        about these concerns;
                            ``(iii) to identify classroom strategies 
                        for working effectively with children with 
                        mental health conditions; and
                            ``(iv) to understand school specific 
                        information, including, as appropriate, how 
                        schools are--
                                    ``(I) assisting in linking students 
                                to supports and services; and
                                    ``(II) providing information on the 
                                school's mental health services and 
                                supports, including school social work 
                                and psychological services, as well as 
                                the school's referral process for 
                                additional school-linked services 
                                connecting to community mental health 
                                professionals.
                    ``(B) Family perspective.--A training program 
                described in subparagraph (A) shall incorporate family 
                and parent perspectives.
                    ``(C) Training program for all areas of the state 
                and for personnel serving indian children.--
                            ``(i) Urban and rural areas.--In awarding 
                        subgrants under this section, a State 
                        educational agency shall ensure training 
                        programs described under subparagraph (A) are 
                        available for teachers, school personnel, and 
                        specialized instructional support personnel in 
                        urban and rural areas across the State.
                            ``(ii) Indian children.--A State 
                        educational agency that receives a grant under 
                        this section shall award subgrants to eligible 
                        local educational agencies described in section 
                        7112(b)(1) and Indian tribes described in 
                        section 7112(c).
                    ``(D) School based mental health services 
                providers.--A training program described in 
                subparagraph (A) shall include a school-based mental 
                health service provider and a community organization 
                with expertise in the lived experience of mental 
                illness, whenever possible, to maximize training 
                outcomes and facilitate coordinated referrals when more 
                intensive community services are needed.
            ``(3) Guidelines.--In carrying out a training program 
        described in paragraph (2), an eligible local educational 
        agency may--
                    ``(A) report to the Secretary on the agency's 
                commitment to students with mental illness through 
                innovative programs, resource development, and the 
                development of a mental health curriculum and 
                activities that focus on raising awareness within 
                schools of early onset mental health conditions and 
                linking students with effective mental health services 
                and supports;
                    ``(B) describe existing school-community 
                partnerships that provide effective clinical services 
                to students with severe mental health needs;
                    ``(C) describe how the agency will measure 
                outcomes, as described in subsection (d), specifically 
                for students with serious mental health needs;
                    ``(D) describe how the training program will be 
                effective for teachers, school personnel, and 
                specialized instructional support personnel in 
                culturally and linguistically diverse school 
                communities; and
                    ``(E) describe any strong links to the community 
                mental health system and community mental health 
                providers through interagency collaboration, including 
                documenting--
                            ``(i) the extent of the interagency 
                        collaboration (including the engagement in 
                        joint activities); and
                            ``(ii) the dates during which the 
                        collaboration has been in effect and any 
                        outcomes that have been achieved as a result of 
                        this activity.
    ``(d) Evaluations and Measures of Outcomes.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop measures of 
        outcomes for eligible local educational agencies that receive 
        subgrants under this section, in order to evaluate the 
        effectiveness of programs carried out under the subgrant.
            ``(2) Outcomes.--The measures of outcomes described in 
        paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, provisions to 
        evaluate--
                    ``(A) the effectiveness of comprehensive school 
                mental health training programs established under this 
                section;
                    ``(B) the effectiveness of formal partnership 
                linkages among child and family serving institutions, 
                community support systems, and the educational system, 
                if applicable;
                    ``(C) the effectiveness of the training program in 
                culturally and linguistically diverse school 
                communities;
                    ``(D) the improvement in understanding mental 
                health conditions with the purpose of providing a safe 
                and supportive learning environment among school staff, 
                students, and parents;
                    ``(E) the improvement in--
                            ``(i) case-finding of students in need of 
                        more intensive services;
                            ``(ii) effective communication with 
                        families; and
                            ``(iii) referral of identified students 
                        with mental health related concerns for an 
                        evaluation for services and supports;
                    ``(F) the reduction in the number of students with 
                mental health conditions and those identified as 
                children with disabilities under the emotional 
                disturbance and other health impairment categories of 
                the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act who are 
                suspended and an increase in the number of such 
                students who graduate from high school; and
                    ``(G) the increased successful matriculation to 
                postsecondary school.
    ``(e) Data Collection Component.--
            ``(1) Annual data submissions and reports.--
                    ``(A) Data submission.--
                            ``(i) Local educational agencies.--An 
                        eligible local educational agency that receives 
                        a subgrant under this section shall annually 
                        submit to the eligible State educational agency 
                        a report that includes data to evaluate the 
                        success of the program carried out by the 
                        eligible local educational agency. Such reports 
                        shall utilize the measures of outcomes 
                        described in subsection (d).
                            ``(ii) State educational agencies.--An 
                        eligible State educational agency that receives 
                        a grant under this section shall annually 
                        submit to the Secretary a report that includes 
                        data from the reports submitted to the agency 
                        from eligible local educational agencies 
                        pursuant to clause (i).
                    ``(B) Report to congress.--Not later than 6 months 
                after the date the Secretary receives reports under 
                subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall compile the 
                data in the reports and conduct a general analysis of 
                the success of the programs carried out by the local 
                educational agencies involved with subgrant funds 
                received under this section. The Secretary shall 
                prepare a report containing the compilation and general 
                analysis, and submit the report to the Committee on 
                Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
                and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 
                House of Representatives.
            ``(2) Evaluation and report.--
                    ``(A) Evaluation.--Not later than 12 months after 
                the end of the initial subgrant period for eligible 
                local educational agencies under this section, the 
                Secretary shall conduct an in-depth evaluation of the 
                success of the programs carried out by the local 
                educational agencies with subgrant funds received under 
                this section.
                    ``(B) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall 
                prepare a report containing the in-depth evaluation, 
                and submit the report to the Committee on Health, 
                Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House 
                of Representatives.
    ``(f) Terms and Cost of the Grant.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2014 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 4130 the following:

``Sec. 4131. Training teachers and school professionals in 
                            understanding the mental health needs of 
                            children.''.