LACOE’s Mental Health and School Counseling Unit partners with Local Education Agencies to build multi-tiered, culturally responsive and trauma-informed systems of support that promote emotional wellbeing and academic success.
LACOE's Mental Health & School Counseling Resources
School Counseling and Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Crisis Response & Recovery
School Social Work Resources
LACOE’s Mental Health & School Counseling Programs
School Mental Health Program
The LACOE School Mental Health (SMH) Program provides comprehensive support to students, families, and school staff by offering a range of mental health services aimed at fostering emotional well-being and academic success.
Training and Technical Assistance
What’s the data saying:
- Students who engaged with school counselors reported a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms, with a 32% improvement in emotional well-being highlighting the critical role of school counselors in supporting students’ mental health, academic success, attendance, behavior, and overall development. (Psychology in the Schools, 2016)
- 1 in 5 children in the U.S. have a diagnosable mental health condition, but less than half receive any treatment. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2020)
- Students with untreated mental health conditions are more likely to experience academic failure, absenteeism, and behavior issues. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)
Mental health and school counseling supports are essential for creating a safe, supportive school environment, within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). We equip educators, school counselors, school administrators and school mental health professionals to identify and address mental health issues early, while fostering a compassionate atmosphere where students and families feel heard and valued. We equip Local Education Agencies (LEAs) develop effective strategies with both mental health and school counseling trainings and technical assistance within the MTSS framework, ensuring every student has access to the supports and promote their well-being and academic success.
RESOURCES & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Legislation
AB-2246: Pupil Suicide Prevention Policies for Grades 7-12
School districts and local educational agencies (LEAs) serving grades 7-12 must implement suicide prevention policies that specifically address high-risk student populations. These policies were required to be in place by the 2017-18 school year and continue to ensure that schools take proactive measures to prevent suicide.
AB-1767: Extension of Suicide Prevention Policies to Grades K-6
With the passage of AB-1767, the requirements for suicide prevention policies were extended to cover grades K-6. This bill ensures that even younger students are supported through suicide prevention strategies, addressing mental health needs from the earliest school years.
SB-1318: Pupil Health: Suicide Prevention Policies (Pupil Suicide Crisis)
This bill sets a target for July 2026, by which the California Department of Education will update the model policy to guide LEAs in these changes. LEAs are required to review and update their suicide prevention policies every five years.
Crisis Response: Prioritize school mental health professionals; if unavailable, use trained staff or community resources.
Student Notification: Inform students if parents/guardians are notified of a crisis.
Policy Review: During the update of policies, discussing funding for mental health professionals every five years
SB-14: Pupil Health: Mental Health Training and Excused Absences
This bill allows absences for mental and behavioral health to be recognized under illness verification regulations. Schools must accommodate absences taken for mental health reasons, further normalizing mental health care in school attendance policies.
AB-309: Pupil Mental Health Referral Protocols
Under AB-309, the California Department of Education (CDE) is required to develop model referral protocols for addressing student mental health concerns. These protocols are designed to guide schools in referring students to appropriate mental health services and will be available on the CDE website.
Resources
Wellspace Resources
Building a Comprehensive School Mental Health Program Training Series
Training Opportunities
The ACEs Campaign (CA Surgeon General)
The Thriving Kids Project (Child Mind Institute)
Legislation
California Ed Code for School Counselors
- The governing board of a school district may, and is urged to, provide access to a comprehensive educational counseling program for all pupils enrolled in the school district. It is the intent of the Legislature that a school district that provides educational counseling to its pupils implement a structured and coherent counseling program within a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework.
AB365 – Children of Military Families
- Extends to students from military families certain rights regarding exemptions from local graduation requirements and acceptance of partial credit which are currently afforded to other groups of highly mobile students.
AB2508 – Quirk-Silva. Pupil Services: Educational Counseling
- Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to provide a comprehensive educational counseling program for all pupils enrolled in the school district. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that school counselors provide a variety of services for all pupils. Existing law requires educational counseling to include academic counseling in specified areas. Existing law authorizes educational counseling to also include counseling in certain areas. Existing law defines “educational counseling” for these purposes.
- The Local Educational Agency Medi-Cal Billing Option Program (LEA BOP) reimburses LEA BOP Providers (school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, state special schools, community college districts, California State Universities, and University of California campuses) the federal share of the maximum allowable rate for approved health-related services provided by qualified health service practitioners to Medi-Cal eligible students.
School Counselor Academy
Resources
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