A 5235 — Establishes School-based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids program in DCF; requires school districts to develop mental health support and partnership programs.*

and      (4)   any other information, as required by the Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education.       b.    The Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish a public-facing data platform on the Department of Children and Families’ website to display, in a searchable format, the information provided pursuant to subsection a.

           (2)2  6.   Each Theschool Commissionerdistrict of2[, Childrencharter school, and Familiesrenaissance school project]2 shall reportbe annuallyrequired to thehave Governor,either anda designated staff member to theprovide Legislatureschool-based pursuant2[counseling] tomental sectionhealth 2care2 ofservices P.L.1991,for c.164students, (C.52:14-19.1)a concerningformalized thearrangement informationwith requireda tocommunity-based bemental collectedhealth bycare schoolprovider, districts,or chartera schools,formalized andarrangement renaissancewith schoolthe projectsNew pursuantJersey Statewide Student Support Services program to subsectionprovide a.services with outlined criteria for when they will be utilized.

of      section2(3)  5School ofdistricts P.L.   that ,participate c.    in (C.        ) (pending before the LegislatureSPARK aspilot thisprogram bill). shall  be     required 7.   to Theengage Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education shall, in accordance with the "AdministrativeSPARK Procedureprogram Act,"navigator, P.L.1968,established c.410pursuant (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implementsubsection thisf. act.

       8.    There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Children and Families the sum of $44,000,000 to administer the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program established pursuant to section 3 of this act. section,        9.  The provisions 1[of section 1]1 of this act shall take effect immediately, 1[and] except that1 the provisions of section 4 shall take effect 90 days following the date of enactment 1[.  The] and the1 provisions of 1[section] sections1 2 1, 3, 5, and 61 of this act shall takeenter effectrequisite sixinformation monthsinto following the datesecure oftechnology enactment. portal 1[Finally,pursuant theto provisionsparagraph of(4) sections 3, 5, and 6 shall take effect on the first day of thesubsection 25thf. month next following the date of enactment.]1 The Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance of these effective dates as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

of this section;

      e.   The pilot program established pursuant to subsection a.

of this section shall be administered collaboratively by the SPARK program navigator and a participating health system.

      f.    The contracted service provider for the Child Collaborative Mental Health Care Program within the Department of Children and Families will serve as the SPARK pilot program navigator, and will:

      (1)  deliver psychiatric consultation, assessment, and triage support for participating school districts;

      (2)  provide referrals and linkages to care, as necessary, with school-based or community-based outpatient psychiatric providers and therapists, including, when appropriate, the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services program;

      (3)  deliver behavioral health care navigation, coordination, and family engagement;

      (4)  provide short-term medication management, stabilization support, and bridging services for students and families awaiting treatment or services from community-based providers;

      (5)  conduct outreach to students and families to facilitate engagement with, and access to, SPARK program services, and manage parental and guardian authorizations and associated compliance under the “Health Insurance and Patient Affordability Act of 1996,” Pub.L.104-191, and the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974,” 20 U.S.C.

s.1232g, to reduce delays in accessing care;

      (6)  provide each participating school district with a secure technology portal and platform that will permit school personnel to report and manage student behavioral incidents, including harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) incidents, suicide risk screenings, and behavioral threat assessment and management cases, structured to conform with applicable New Jersey statutory and regulatory requirements and with national best practices, including the guidance of the United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, in order to minimize risk to students and districts and to ensure that complete and relevant information is captured at the point of the incident;

      (7)  in coordination with the participating health system, onboard participating school districts, configure school districts’ workflows, integrate with school districts’ student information systems, and train school personnel on the use of the portal and associated processes;

      (8)  capture, track, and report program data and outcomes and support the reporting required under section 3 of this act, and the Children’s Mental Health Data Dashboard, as required to be established and maintained by the Department of Human Services pursuant to P.L.    , c.     (C.      ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No.

5238 and Senate Bill No.

4416;

      (9)  provide psychiatric clearance, school re-entry, and transition planning following student behavioral health crises, hospitalizations, or emergency department visits;

      (10)  deliver educational support, consultation, and behavioral health guidance for school district personnel;

and       (11)  offer consultation and guidance for State and local school leaders to craft and implement evidence-based student mental health policies.

      The navigator may contract with a third-party vendor to provide the secure technology portal described in paragraph (6) of this subsection and the student information system integration, onboarding, training, consent management, and reporting functions described in paragraph (7) of this subsection.

      g.   The SPARK program’s participating health system shall support clinical capacity and escalation for participating school districts.

      h.

School re-entry and transition planning following a student’s behavioral health crisis, hospitalization, or emergency department visit shall be a shared responsibility of the participating school district, the SPARK program navigator, and the participating health system.  The SPARK program navigator’s technology platform shall serve as the shared coordination record through which the parties document, communicate, and track the re-entry plan, the navigator’s psychiatric clearance, and the supports to be provided upon the student’s return.

      i.    The Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall establish a process by which public school districts may access services available through the SPARK pilot program established pursuant to subsection a.

of this section.

      j.  The Department of Children and Families, in consultation with the participating entities, shall establish metrics to be reported for the SPARK pilot program, which shall include, at a minimum:

the rate of student and family utilization of SPARK services;

the time elapsed between referral and first service;

any waitlists for SPARK services;

the completeness of referral information;

the time required to obtain parental and guardian authorization;

and re-entry planning timeliness and completion.

      k.   No later than 60 days following the conclusion of the pilot program, the department shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), including recommendations regarding the continuation or Statewide expansion of the SPARK pilot program established pursuant to subsection a.

of this section.

      l.    Absent a negative recommendation from the department pursuant to subsection k.

of this subsection, all school districts in the State shall participate in the SPARK program upon the conclusion of the pilot program pursuant to subsection a.

of this section.

      m.  In order to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and the timely implementation of the SPARK pilot program, established pursuant to subsection a.

of this section, during the current fiscal year and the Statewide SPARK program, established pursuant to subsection l.

of this section, providers that already provide behavioral, physical, or mental health services to school districts as of the effective date of this act, or which received grant funding from the State during the preceding fiscal year, and which demonstrate the capacity to provide expanded behavioral, physical, or mental health services to students in kindergarten through grade 12 shall be eligible to participate in the SPARK pilot program and the Statewide SPARK program.  Priority under the program may be given to applicants that demonstrate a commitment and ability to provide culturally responsive services that meet the needs of the populations they serve, including but not limited to the use of bilingual providers, multilingual resources, and other strategies designed to support English language learners and their families.

      n.   As a condition of participation in and accessing SPARK pilot program services and Statewide SPARK program services pursuant to this section, a school district shall report annually to the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Education on:

      (1)  the number of students accessing SPARK pilot program services during the most recent school year;

      (2) the number of students and families referred by the SPARK program navigator to community-based behavioral health providers;

      (3) the number of school personnel receiving educational support, consultation, and behavioral health guidance;

and       (4) any other information, as required by the Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education.

      o.   The Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish a public-facing data platform on the Department of Children and Families’ website to display, in a searchable format, the information provided pursuant to subsection j.

and subsection n.

of this section.2         3.   2[a.  Notwithstanding the provision of any law or regulation to  the contrary, there is established in the Department of Children and Families the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program, which shall be operated and administered by the New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative under contract to the department.

      b.   The New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative will serve as the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program navigator, and will provide:

      (1)  same-day psychiatric consultation, assessment, and triage support for school districts;

      (2)  referrals and linkages to care, as necessary, with community-based outpatient psychiatric providers and therapists;

      (3)  behavioral health care navigation, coordination, and family engagement;

      (4)  short-term medication management, stabilization support, and bridging services for students and families awaiting treatment or services from community-based providers;

      (5)  school re-entry planning, psychiatric clearance, and transition coordination following student behavioral health crises, hospitalizations, or emergency department visits;

      (6)  educational support, consultation, and behavioral health guidance for school district personnel;

and       (7)  consultation and guidance for State and local school leaders to craft and implement evidence-based student mental health policies.

      c.   All School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program services provided pursuant to subsection b.

of this section shall be made available for students in kindergarten through grade 12, upon a referral by a teaching staff member or school mental health professionals and only with the written authorization of the student’s parent or legal guardian.

      d.   The Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall establish a process by which public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects may access services available through the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program pursuant to section 2 of P.L.    , c.     (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)]  No later than 90 days after the conclusion of the SPARK pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this act, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall report  to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), concerning the information required to be collected by the contracted administrator, including information on student outcomes, waitlists, the ability of the pilot to integrate and complement the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services program, as well as recommendations for future service delivery2  .

        4.   2[a.  No later than 90 days after the effective date of P.L.    , c.    (C.          ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish and implement a process and issue a request for proposals by which mobile mental health platforms may apply to be awarded the State’s single contract to provide a mobile mental health application that delivers universal, age-appropriate mental health information and resources specifically tailored to students in kindergarten through grade 12 and their families.

      b.   The Commissioner of Children and Families shall ensure that the universal, age appropriate mental health information and resources provided via the mobile application pursuant to subsection a.

of this section complements the services available to students and families through the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program established pursuant to section of P.L.    , c.     (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)]  The Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act2 .

        5.   2[a.  As a condition of participation in and accessing School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program services, as listed in subsection b.

of section 3 of P.L.    , c.    (C.       ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), a school district, charter school, and renaissance school project shall report annually to the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Education:

      (1)  the number of students accessing School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program services during the most recent school year;

      (2)  the number of students and families referred by the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program navigator to community-based behavioral health providers;

      (3)  the number of school personnel receiving educational support, consultation, and behavioral health guidance;

and       (4)  any other information, as required by the Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education.        b.   The Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish a public-facing data platform on the Department of Children and Families’ website to display, in a searchable format, the information provided pursuant to subsection a.

of this section] The provisions of this act shall take effect immediately2.

       2[6.

The Commissioner of Children and Families shall report annually to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) concerning the information required to be collected by school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects pursuant to subsection a.

of section 5 of P.L.    , c.     (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).]2         2[7.

The Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act.]2        2[8.

There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Children and Families the sum of $44,000,000 to administer the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids (SPARK) program established pursuant to section 3 of this act.]2         2[9.  The provisions 1[of section 1]1 of this act shall take effect immediately, 1[and] except that1 the provisions of section 4 shall take effect 90 days following the date of enactment 1[.  The] and the1 provisions of 1[section] sections1 2 1, 3, 5, and 61 of this act shall take effect six months following the date of enactment.  1[Finally, the provisions of sections 3, 5, and 6 shall take effect on the first day of the 25th month next following the date of enactment.]1 The Commissioner of Children and Families and the Commissioner of Education may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance of these effective dates as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.]2