Subject to the availability of funding each year, the Legislature authorizes the director, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to award matching grants to local educational agencies to pay the state share of the costs of providing programs that provide school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services to eligible pupils at schoolsites of eligible pupils, as follows:
(a) The director shall award matching grants pursuant to this chapter to local educational agencies throughout the state.
(b) Matching grants awarded under this part shall be awarded for a period of not more than three years and no single schoolsite shall be awarded more than one grant, except for a schoolsite that received a grant prior to July 1, 1992.
(c) The director shall pay to each local educational agency having an application approved pursuant to requirements in this part the state share of the cost of the activities described in the application.
(d) Commencing July 1, 1993, the state share of matching grants shall be a maximum of 50 percent in each of the three years.
(e) Commencing July 1, 1993, the local share of matching grants shall be at least 50 percent, from a combination of school district and cooperating entity funds.
(f) The local share of the matching grant may be in cash or payment in-kind.
(g) Priority shall be given to those applicants that demonstrate the following:
(1) The local educational agency will serve the greatest number of eligible pupils from low-income families.
(2) The local educational agency will provide a strong parental involvement component.
(3) The local educational agency will provide supportive services with one or more cooperating entities.
(4) The local educational agency will provide services at a low cost per child served in the project.
(5) The local educational agency will provide programs and services that are based on adoption or modification, or both, of existing programs that have been shown to be effective. No more than 20 percent of the grants awarded by the director may be utilized for new models.
(6) The local educational agency will provide services to children who are in out-of-home placement or who are at risk of being in out-of-home placement.
(h) Eligible supportive services may include the following:
(1) Individual and group intervention and prevention services.
(2) Parent involvement through conferences or training, or both.
(3) Teacher and staff conferences and training related to meeting project goals.
(4) Referral to outside resources when eligible pupils require additional services.
(5) Use of paraprofessional staff, who are trained and supervised by credentialed school psychologists, school counselors, or school social workers, to meet with pupils on a short-term weekly basis, in a one-on-one setting as in the primary intervention program established pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4343) of Part 3. A minimum of 80 percent of the grants awarded by the director shall include the basic components of the primary intervention program.
(6) Any other service or activity that will improve the mental health of eligible pupils.
Prior to participation by an eligible pupil in either individual or group services, consent of a parent or guardian shall be obtained.
(i) Each local educational agency seeking a grant under this chapter shall submit an application to the director at the time, in a manner, and accompanied by any information the director may reasonably require.
(j) Each matching grant application submitted shall include all of the following:
(1) Documentation of need for the school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services.
(2) A description of the school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services expected to be provided at the schoolsite.
(3) A statement of program goals.
(4) A list of cooperating entities that will participate in the provision of services. A letter from each cooperating entity confirming its participation in the provision of services shall be included with the list. At least one letter shall be from a cooperating entity confirming that it will agree to screen referrals of low-income children the program has determined may be in need of mental health treatment services and that, if the cooperating entity determines that the child is in need of those services and if the cooperating entity determines that according to its priority process the child is eligible to be served by it, the cooperating entity will agree to provide those mental health treatment services.
(5) A detailed budget and budget narrative.
(6) A description of the proposed plan for parent involvement in the program.
(7) A description of the population anticipated to be served, including number of pupils to be served and socioeconomic indicators of sites to receive funds.
(8) A description of the matching funds from a combination of local education agencies and cooperating entities.
(9) A plan describing how the proposed school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services program will be continued after the matching grant has expired.
(10) Assurance that grants would supplement and not supplant existing local resources provided for early mental health intervention and prevention services.
(11) A description of an evaluation plan that includes quantitative and qualitative measures of school and pupil characteristics, and a comparison of children’s adjustment to school.
(k) Matching grants awarded pursuant to this article may be used for salaries of staff responsible for implementing the school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services program, equipment and supplies, training, and insurance.
(l) Salaries of administrative staff and other administrative costs associated with providing services shall be limited to 5 percent of the state share of assistance provided under this section.
(m) No more than 10 percent of each matching grant awarded pursuant to this article may be used for matching grant evaluation.
(n) No more than 10 percent of the moneys allocated to the director pursuant to this chapter may be utilized for program administration and evaluation.
Program administration shall include both state staff and field staff who are familiar with and have successfully implemented school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services. Field staff may be contracted with by local school districts or community mental health programs. Field staff shall provide support in the timely and effective implementation of school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services. Reviews of each project shall be conducted at least once during the first year of funding.
(o) Subject to the approval of the director, at the end of the fiscal year, a school district may apply unexpended funds to the budget for the subsequent funding year.
(p) Contracts for the program and administration, or ancillary services in support of the program, shall be exempt from the requirements of the Public Contract Code and the State Administrative Manual, and from approval by the Department of General Services.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 347, Sec. 46. (SB 942) Effective January 1, 2012.)