Legislature(2019 - 2020)DAVIS 106
02/19/2020 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB155 | |
| HB181 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 181 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 181-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
8:52:37 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 181 "An Act relating to mental health
education."
8:52:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MATT CLAMAN, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 181. He cited the Alaska Department of
Health and Social Services (DHSS) 2017 Alaska Youth Risk
Behavior Survey results, which showed that of the 1,343 ninth-
through twelfth-grade students in forty high schools across
Alaska, one in three students experienced a depressive episode
in the twelve months preceding the survey. He cited the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services National Survey on
Drug Use and Health, in which estimates show that in 2015 and
2016, 15 percent of adolescents aged 12-17 reported that they
had at least one major depressive episode in the 12 months
preceding the survey. He noted that both surveys are included
in the committee packet.
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN said that HB 181 would require the
Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) and the
Alaska Board of Education & Early Development to develop
guidelines for instruction in mental health education, in
consultation with DHSS counselors, educators, students,
administrators, and representatives from state and national
mental health organizations including rural native health
organizations. State and national organizations include but are
not limited to: the National council for Behavioral Health,
Providence Health & Services Alaska, Southcentral Foundation,
Anchorage Community Mental Health Services, Inc., North Star
Behavioral Health System, and the National Alliance on Mental
Illness in Alaska. He said DEED would then be responsible for
the implementation of the guidelines statewide through the
health education curricula, and DEED, DHSS, and the Council on
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault - Alaska would provide
technical guidance to districts in the development of curricula.
He asserted that the State of Alaska is obligated to treat
mental health problems facing Alaska's youth as a serious public
health issue. He suggested that HB 181 would reduce stigma
associated with mental illness and increase student knowledge by
having conversations on and around this issue.
8:55:38 AM
SOPHIE JONAS, Staff, Representative Matt Claman, Alaska State
Legislature, presented HB 181 on behalf of Representative
Claman, prime sponsor. She stated that the intent of the
legislation is that the Board of Education & Early Development
would develop guidelines for instruction in mental health in
consultation with mental health organizations. She stated that
under the proposed legislation, AS 14.30.360 would be modified
to remove the word "physical" when referring to health education
instruction and add "mental health" as a curriculum item to be
included in district health education programs. She said that
under the proposed legislation, AS 14.30.360 would clarify that
health guidelines developed by the Alaska Board of Education &
Early Development must provide standards for instruction on
mental health and shall be developed in consultation with DHSS
and representatives of national and state mental health
organizations.
8:56:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY referred to student testimony in support
of HB 181 provided on February 24, 2020, and recounted their
expressed shared need for mental health education. She asked
how the "subject matter expert contractor" listed in the fiscal
note and the individuals representing the variety of
professional organizations listed in the bill would be selected.
8:58:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN answered that the fiscal note for a
contractor was unexpected, and he suggested that it was
unnecessary due to the assumption that the state has adequate
resources to conduct the facilitation described therein. He
referred to committee packet items showing current standards,
and he said the proposed changes are not substantive enough [at
the state level] to warrant a contracted facilitator for
implementation. He suggested that local districts would develop
curricula based upon their local circumstances and needs. He
acknowledged that statewide conferencing might require some
coordination; however, he opined that limited conferencing could
be coordinated with existing resources.
9:02:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY requested that a representative from
DEED provide a response to her question.
9:02:28 AM
TAMARA VAN WHYE, Division Director, Educator and School
Excellence Division, Department of Education & Early
Development, answered that the fiscal note includes funds that
would be used to update standards in health education. She
noted that the department's "Skills for a Healthy Life" have not
been updated in more than 20 years. She noted that health
education standards are voluntary, and that a minor change would
likely not result in widespread adoption of the changes;
therefore, the minor change would likely not have widespread
impact across the state. She noted that there is a process for
standards review and update panel member selection including
open calls to credentialed individuals to participate.
9:04:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY asked what the selection process itself
and contractor selection process would entail.
9:05:24 AM
MS. VAN WHYE answered that regional and grade level
representation credentials are taken into consideration in
selecting individuals from outside organizations in order to
represent all of Alaska. She added that a facilitator would be
selected after development of scope and subject matter expertise
and would be solicited through state procurement processes.
9:06:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY allowed that the standards are "clearly
outdated"; however, also taking into consideration advances in
technology, she opined that the wholesale review of standards in
order to meet the needs of this bill is a "peculiar" fiscal
requirement.
9:07:57 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked about the goal of school health and
safety within Alaska's Education Challenge, whether mental
health education [as proposed by HB 181] furthers the
advancement toward that goal. She asked whether the department
has a schedule for updating standards, and why the standards
have not been updated in excess of 20 years.
9:08:49 AM
MS. VAN WHYE answered that regarding the health and safety goal,
mental health education and trauma informed schools would
advance that goal. She indicated that there is a schedule for
updating standards prioritized by need, and that those for math,
language arts, and science are standards which contribute to
test scores and are therefore higher priority. She would need
to investigate health and safety standards timeline for update.
She added that since health education standards are voluntary,
they are updated at a lower priority.
9:11:47 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND requested copies of Transforming Schools: A
Framework for Trauma-Engaged Schools in Alaska for the committee
members.
9:12:55 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:12 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
9:15:07 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN played a YouTube film produced by Mental
Health Advocates Through Storytelling (MHATS) in support of HB
181.
9:19:30 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked whether HB 181 would make mental health
education mandatory. She added that it seems that students in
Alaska are asking to make this mandatory.
9:19:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN answered that under current statute,
districts are not required to follow health education
guidelines. He suggested that the committee may amend the bill
to include language to make mental health education mandatory.
9:20:31 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY expressed support for HB 181, along with concerns
regarding effective implementation through the exiting health
education guidelines, recognizing reduced school funding
statewide. She noted that HB 181 would require implementation
of mental health education through school counselors and
existing health educators, and that, for example, the Juneau
School District has only 1 counselor for 450 students and 1 for
500 students, for the two high schools, respectively. She
suggested that implementation of the bill would be akin to an
unfunded mandate. She stated her belief that the proposed
legislation is very important, and the implementation is equally
important. She suggested that education of students cannot
effectively take place without addressing underlying mental
health issues among students.
9:22:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN noted that there has been discussion about
adding counselors and adding social workers into districts;
however, HB 181 would be implemented by health teachers into the
classroom. He added that budget cuts have precipitated a
decline in resources throughout the state resulting in fewer
counselors and social workers.
9:24:07 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY suggested that without mental health
education, students can and would seek information on their own,
which puts them at risk for misinformation.
9:25:02 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND opined that HB 181 could be implemented
throughout many academic curricula. She asked Representative
Claman whether he was aware of any curricula developed and
implemented for mental health in any district in Alaska.
9:25:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN answered that there is caution in
conversations about the implementation of the proposed bill as
to avoid an unfunded mandate. He suggested that curricula is
best left to the discretion of local jurisdictions to develop
and implement the most effective curricula for their community.
9:26:58 AM
RICHARD NAVITSKY, MD, Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine,
Providence Health & Services, testified in support of HB 181.
He echoed the messages conveyed in the MHATS video audio, and he
explained that the emergency department is the "final
destination" for youth that have had mental health issues. He
referred to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data
that reflects a 31 percent increase in the total suicide rate
from 2001-2017 across all age groups, and in teenagers in
particular. He suggested that peer to peer support and early
intervention is beneficial to youth mental health and could
reduce morbidity and mortality associated with suicide, and in
turn would result in lower health costs.
9:29:31 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND thanked Dr. Navitsky for his expert testimony
and invited him to contact the legislature to offer invited
testimony.
9:29:57 AM
CRIS EICHENLAUB testified that he was unsure that a bill is the
most appropriate mechanism through which to address mental
illness among youth in Alaska.
9:32:02 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND closed public testimony HB 181.
9:32:16 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 181 was held over.