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ZZ DATE July 13, 2022

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1952 _

Introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
STRENGHTENING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OF STATE
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Under Republic Act No. 11036, otherwise known as the Mental Health
Act, the State affirms the basic right of all Filipinos to mental health as well as
the fundamental rights of people who require mental health services. The State
commits itself to promoting the well-being of people by ensuring that mental
health is valued, promoted and protected; mental health conditions are treated
and prevented; timely, affordable, and high quality; and, persons affected by
mental health conditions are able to exercise the full range of human rights, and
participate fully in society and at work free from stigmatization and
discrimination.

In line with this, this bill seeks to ensure that proper and adequate mental
health services are provided by state universities and colleges to their students
and personnel. It provides for establishment of mental health offices in all
campuses and the development of the career of the mental health professionals
by providing enhanced benefits.


In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative, ’Tingog Sinirangan

Rep. JUDE. ACIDRE
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _195:

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
STRENGHTENING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OF STATE UNIVERSITIES
AND COLLEGES, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “State Universities and
Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health Service Act.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. \t is hereby declared the policy of the State
to uphold the basic right of every Filipino to sound mental health and ensure access
to appropriate interventions, therapy, and treatment as needed. Pursuant to this
mandate, the State shall institute policies to promote the mental health and wellness
of students, faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other personnel in the
campuses of SUCs through, among others, the establishment of a Mental Health
Office in all SUCs, and the hiring, deployment, and training of additional SUCs-based
mental health service personnel.

All SUCs shall ensure that proper and adequate mental health services are
provided to their students, faculty, non-teaching staff and other personnel. In this
regard, all SUCs, through their Mental Health Offices, shall design programs and
provide services that shall assist students in resolving emotional, behavioral and
psychosocial issues that are barriers to learning and enhance the preparedness of the


faculty, teaching, non-teaching staff, and other personnel to foster an enabling
environment for students to acquire knowledge and to develop intellectually.

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Section 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act:

Guidance counselor refers to an individual who possesses a license or
certification granted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and
holds at the minimum a Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling,
Guidance, or Counseling, without prejudice to those registered under the
grandfather's clause of Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as the
"Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004,” and is competent to perform guidance
and counseling, career guidance, and implement mental health programs;
Mental health refers to a state of well-being in which the individual realizes

one's own abilities and potentials, copes adequately with the normal stresses
of life, displays resilience in the face of extreme life events, works productively
and fruitfully, and is able to make a positive contribution to the community;
Mental health professional refers to a medical doctor, nurse, guidance
counselor, psychologist, or any other appropriately-trained and qualified person
with specific skills relevant to, and necessary for, the provision of mental health
services;

Mental health services refer to the psychosocial, psychiatric, or neurologic
activities and programs along the whole range of the mental health support
services including promotion, prevention, treatment, and aftercare, which are
provided by mental health facilities and mental health professionals;
Psychologist refers to a natural person who has professional training and
clinical skills in psychotherapeutic intervention and assessment for mental
health problems and possesses a license or certification granted by the PRC
and holds at the minimum a master's degree in Psychology without prejudice
to those granted licenses under the grandfather's clause of Republic Act No.
10029, otherwise known as the "Psychology Act of 2009";

SUCs-based mental health service personnel refers to any mental health
professional who is hired or deployed by, or has a contract with a SUC to render
mental health services in each campus of the SUC.


Section 4. Establishment of Mental Health Offices in All SUCs Campuses.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall, subject to the rules and
regulations of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), and the policies, standards, and guidelines of the CHED, require
all SUCs to establish a Mental Health Office in all their campuses.

The Mental Health Offices shall set up campus hotlines with dedicated and
trained guidance counselors to provide assistance to the whole SUC Community,
especially the students. Special attention shall be given to those identified to have
mental health problems or conditions, especially those at risk of committing suicide.

The CHED and the SUCs, through their Mental Health Offices, shall initiate and
sustain a heightened campaign to raise the collective consciousness about mental
health. The awareness campaign shall give special emphasis to the issues of suicide
prevention, stress handling, mental health and nutrition, and guidance and counseling.
The campaign shall ensure that the whole SUC community, especially the students,
is aware of in-campus mental health services.

The SUCs, through the Mental Health Offices, shall develop and provide for
sufficient allocation for mental health programs and projects designed to maintain and
address the mental health and well-being of the faculty, students, and personnel of
the SUCs.

Each Mental Health Office shall be manned by, train and deploy mental health
professionals who shall serve as the mental health service personnel of the SUCs

The SUCs-based mental health service personnel of the Mental Health Offices,
including those who shall be hired upon the effectivity of this Act, shall create a
mechanism for timely crisis intervention and suicide prevention and the appropriate
response strategies for the whole SUCs community, especially the students.

The CHED shall, in coordination with the SUCs, establish mechanisms to
maximize existing services offered by other executive departments such as the
attached agencies to the Department of Health (DOH) dealing with mental health and
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Section 5. Hiring, Training, and Deployment of Mental Health


Professionals. Subject to the guidelines set by the CHED, CSC, DBM, and the SUCs,
the SUCs shall hire, train, and deploy mental health professionals, including a
psychologist, to the Mental Health Office to ensure that each SUC shall have mental
health professionals or mental health service providers within five (5) years from the
effectivity of this Act.

The SUCs shall, in coordination with the CHED, prepare the appropriate
plantilla positions for the additional SUC-based mental health service personnel to be
hired under this Act subject to the existing organizational, staffing, position
classification and compensation policies, rules, and regulations to be submitted to the
DBM for evaluation and approval.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as
the “Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004," the SUCs may hire, as may be necessary,
graduates with relevant background in psychology or similar fields, who do not yet
qualify as mental health professionals to provide SUCs-based mental health services:
Provided, That they undergo sufficient capacity building as determined by the CHED
and are supervised by qualified mental health professionals in their provision of mental
health services: Provided, further, That they meet the relevant qualifications and are
licensed as mental health professionals within three (3) years from their date of hiring.

The CHED and the SUCs, through the Mental Health Offices, shall formulate a
scheme for the continuous training of mental health service personnel, taking into
consideration the latest information, studies, and know-how on mental health and
mental health services, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10912,
otherwise known as the "Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016".

Section 6. Professional and Career Development of Mental Health
Professionals. The CHED shall, in coordination with the DBM, CSC, DOH and the
PRC,:

a) Prepare a uniform career and personnel development plan that shall include
provisions on personal wellness, merit promotion, performance evaluation,
in-service training, graduate scholarships, research grants, and incentive
award system;

b) Match the salary grades of mental health professionals with related plantilla


items under the provisions of Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as
the "Position Classification and Compensation Act of 1989," as amended;
Align the qualifications and standards for the qualification outcomes of
Mental Health Professionals to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10968,
otherwise known as the “Philippine Qualifications Framework Act;"

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Revisit the organizational structure of the SUCs to provide competent and
professional personnel who shall provide supervision and technical
assistance to the guidance counselors;

e)

Review, revise, and develop the duties and responsibilities of mental health
professionals in accordance with laws governing their professions;

1) Prepare a performance evaluation plan that considers the improvement of
the efficiency and organizational effectiveness of each counselor: Provided,
That each employee shall be informed regularly by the immediate
supervisor of one’s performance evaluation; and,

g) Provide periodic training, retooling and skills upgrading to mental health

professionals.

Section 7. Salary Scale. The career and salary scales of mental health
professionals in SUCs shall provide for a gradual progression from a minimum to a
maximum salary by means of regular increments, to be given regularly based on merit
and competencies.

The entry level of mental health professionals shall not be lower than Salary
Grade 16. Psychometricians shall have, as entry level, Salary Grade 11

Section 8. Contract with SUCs-Based Mental Health Personnel. \n case of
scarcity of available mental health service personnel for full-time employment in the
Mental Health Offices of the SUCs, the SUCs may enter into agreements for their
hiring on a contractual or part-time basis in the campuses of the SUCs.

Section 9. Benefits. The Mental Health Professionals in the Mental Health
Offices shall enjoy the rights, privileges, and other benefits provided in Republic Act
No. 7305, otherwise known as the "Magna Carta of Public Health Workers", Republic


Act No. 11036, otherwise known as the "Mental Health Act," and other pertinent laws.

Section 10. Appropriations. The amount necessary to carry out the provisions
of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 11. /mplementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) days
after the effectivity of this Act, the CHED shall, in coordination with the DOH, the
Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, and other concerned
stakeholders, issue the rules and regulations necessary for the hiring, training, and
deployment of the SUCs-based guidance counselors, psychologists, and other mental
health service personnel, and for the implementation of this Act.

Section 12. Suppletory Application of the Mental Health Act. The applicable
provisions of Republic Act No. 11036, otherwise known as the "Mental Health Act",
insofar as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, shall apply
suppletorily.

Section 13. Separability Clause. \f any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected, shall remain
in full force and effect.

Section 14. Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
‘executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary
to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is repealed, modified, or amended
accordingly.

Section 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,