(2) Each public school governing authority shall adopt and make available to the public a policy to implement the provisions of this Section and such policy, at a minimum, shall provide that:

(a) A behavioral health provider who provides services pursuant to this Section shall maintain general liability insurance coverage in an amount not less than one million dollars per occurrence and one million dollars per aggregate and provide a certificate of insurance naming the public school as the certificate holder.

(b) A behavioral health provider shall complete a criminal background check conducted by the Louisiana State Police and shall pay all related costs.

(c) Behavioral health services shall be permitted during school hours if the student's parent or legal guardian presents a behavioral health evaluation performed by an evaluator chosen by the parent or legal guardian and the evaluation indicates that the services are necessary during school hours to assist the student with behavioral health impairments that the evaluator determines are interfering with the student's ability to thrive in the educational setting. A behavioral health evaluation presented by the parent or legal guardian of a student shall not be construed as an independent educational evaluation for purposes of determining if a student meets the criteria established for eligibility for special education and related services.

(d) Behavioral health services may be provided during instructional time in English, reading, mathematics, and science if the public school governing authority and the behavioral health provider agree that it is in the best interest of the student.

(e) A public school governing authority shall not enter into a contract or an exclusive agreement with a behavioral health provider that prohibits the parent or legal guardian from choosing the behavioral health provider for the student. However the provisions of this Subparagraph shall not impair any extant contract on the effective date of this Section, or the renewal thereof.

(f) The cost of all behavioral health services provided to a student shall be the sole responsibility of the parent or legal guardian, individually or through an applicable health insurance policy, Medicaid, or other third-party payor, other than the public school governing authority, that has made funds available for the payment for the services provided.

(g) While on a school campus, a behavioral service provider shall comply with, and abide by, the terms of any Individualized Education Plan, Individualized Accommodation Plan, Section 504 Plan, Behavior Management Plan, or Individualized Health Plan applicable to a student who is a patient of the provider. The services furnished by a provider shall be incorporated into a written treatment plan applicable to a student.

(h) The parent or legal guardian of a student receiving services from a behavioral service provider shall be required to execute a "consent to release information form" between the provider and the public school governing authority.

(i) A public school governing authority shall establish reporting requirements for a behavioral health provider related to the student's progress and student and school safety concerns as related to the student's educational program.

(j) A public school governing authority may establish sanctions, including termination of a provider's authorization to provide services on any school campus, against a behavioral health provider for failure to comply with the governing authority's policy.

(3) The failure of a public school governing authority to adopt a policy shall not be cause to prohibit the provision of behavioral health services to a student as provided in this Section.

(1) "Applied behavior analysis provider" shall mean a provider who is licensed, certified, or registered by the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board and is in good standing to provide applied behavior analysis services.

(2) "Applied behavior analysis services" shall include the design, implementation, and evaluation of systematic instructional and environmental modifications by an applied behavior analysis provider to produce socially significant improvements in behavior as described in the Behavior Analyst Practice Act.

(3) "Behavioral health evaluation" shall include but not be limited to the following criteria:

(a) Diagnosis.

(b) Type of intervention.

(c) Length of intervention.

(d) Identification of a student's goals.

(e) Identification of impact of student behavior on a student's educational program.

(f) Recommendations for applied behavior analysis services.

(4) "Behavioral health provider" shall mean a provider who is licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health or a health profession licensing board and is in good standing to provide behavioral health services in Louisiana including but not limited to a psychiatrist, psychologist, medical psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, marriage and family therapist, professional counselor, clinical social worker, applied behavior analysis provider, or a behavioral health provider organization licensed to provide behavioral health services in Louisiana.

(5) "Behavioral health services" shall include but not be limited to individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, psychotropic medication management, community psychiatric support and treatment, crisis intervention, and medically necessary applied behavior analysis services.

(6) "Evaluator" shall mean a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, medical psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or applied behavior analysis provider who is certified by the respective board of examiners in Louisiana to provide necessary evaluations and who is not an employee of the public school governing authority or the state Department of Education.

(1) The authority of a student's Individualized Education Program team or Section 504 committee to determine appropriate services for a student pursuant to applicable federal and state law.

(2) The provisions of the Behavioral Health Services Provider Licensing Law or any regulation promulgated by the Louisiana Department of Health pursuant to that law.

(3) The provisions of the Behavior Analyst Practice Act.

(2) The model master plan may include but need not be limited to guidelines for accomplishing the following:

(d) Providing improved mental health services in or through the schools.

(ii) Behavioral interventions and supports:

(aa) Positive behavioral supports with a high ratio of positive reinforcement over punishment.

(bb) Behavioral shaping steps aligned to assessed behavioral needs and goals.

(cc) Mentoring and frequent behavioral feedback focused on individualized shaping steps for students enrolled.

(dd) Successive approximations and reinforcements to develop more complex social behaviors.

(iii) Mental health interventions and supports:

(aa) Evidence-based cognitive behavioral interventions to address, anger, impulsivity, and aggression.

(bb) Interventions to address past childhood traumas, including forms of abuse and neglect, being a victim of or a witness to violence, and involvement in natural disasters.

(cc) Interventions to address substance use and to prevent substance abuse.

(dd) Interventions to build life skills and social skills in order to increase employability and success in the community.

(2) Such programs may include but shall not be limited to the following components:

(a) Provision of services for students including behavioral training and intervention techniques that promote cooperation and enhance interpersonal and conflict resolution skills, peer mediation, anger management, bullying prevention, life skills training, mentoring, counseling, and tutoring programs that improve academic achievement.

(b)(i) Provision of services which support the parents of students identified with behavioral needs that may need intervention or support. Such parent services may include literacy services or parental training.

(ii) Required participation of any parent of a student so identified in such intervention at the school or other designated facility.

(c) Collaboration with community-based organizations, including but not limited to youth services, civic, social services, mental health, volunteer services, and juvenile justice agencies.

1. administering psychological and educational tests, and other assessment procedures;

2. interpreting assessment results;

3. obtaining, integrating, and interpreting information about student behavior and conditions relating to learning (which may also include assisting in the development of academic intervention strategies, progress monitoring, evaluating intervention and service delivery outcomes, conducting functional behavior assessments, and conducting program evaluations);

4. consulting with other staff members in planning school programs to meet the special educational needs of students as indicated by psychological tests, interviews, direct observation, and behavioral evaluations;

5. planning and managing a program of psychological services, including psychological counseling for students and parents (which may also include implementing and/or monitoring interventions, conducting social skills training, anger management/conflict resolution training, study skills training, substance abuse prevention, crisis prevention and intervention, parent skills training, and coordinating services with other community agencies.); and

6. assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

1. Evidence of criteria listed in Subparagraphs a and b below shall be met.

a. The student is classified and eligible for special education services.

b. There is documented, observable and measurable evidence that school psychological services are necessary for the student to benefit from special education.

1. The assessment shall be conducted by a certified school psychologist and shall include at a minimum the following procedures:

a. a review, analysis and determination of the appropriateness of evidence documenting the specific referral concern(s);

b. a systematic observation in the setting(s) in which the concern is manifested; and

c. any additional procedures judged necessary to determine if the area of concern interferes with the student's ability to benefit from his or her educational program.

2. The assessment should be designed to provide recommendations for interventions, strategies and/or services necessary to improve the student's educational performance. Such recommendations should take into account the diverse activities involving direct and indirect service provision that comprise the delivery system described in Subsection A above. These activities complement one another and therefore are most accurately viewed as being integrated and coordinated rather than discrete services. The provision of services shall be determined at the IEP Team meeting, using the results and recommendations of the assessment. The continuation of services will be determined at the annual IEP review using input from the school psychologist.

1. preparing a social or developmental history on a student with a disability;

2. providing group and individual counseling with the student and the family. (This may include linking them to community resources, helping them to actively participate in the student's educational process, and providing crisis intervention services in the event of a death, illness, or community trauma. The school social worker shall maintain adequate safeguards for the privacy and confidentiality of information, and maintain data that is relevant to planning management and evaluation of school social work services.);

3. working in partnership with parents and others on those problems in a student's living situation (home, school, and community) that affect the student's adjustment in school. (The school social worker will advocate for services to be provided in the context of multicultural understanding and competence, as well as work collaboratively as a part of an interdisciplinary team that will enhance the student's academic performance.);

4. mobilizing school and community resources to enable the student to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program; and

5. assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies to address behaviors of concern that will enhance the student's ability to benefit from his or her educational experience.

1. Evidence of criteria listed in Subparagraphs a and b below must be met.

a. The student is classified and eligible for special education services.

b. There is documented, observable and measurable evidence that school social work services are necessary for the student to benefit from special education.

1. The assessment shall be conducted by a qualified school social worker and shall include the supporting documentation of the psycho-social stressors (see Appendix) being experienced by the student and/or his family and will include at a minimum the following procedures:

a. a review, analysis and determination of the appropriateness of evidence documenting the specific referral concern;

b. a family interview;

c. an interview with the student;

d. interview(s) with the students teacher(s); and

e. review of available mental health and/or health records.

1. increasing awareness of risk factors, including, but not limited to the following:

a. mental health and substance abuse conditions;

b. childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma;

c. potential causes of stress, such as bullying, harassment, and relationship problems;

d. secondary trauma from a suicide or sensationalized or graphic accounts of suicide in media; and

e. history of suicide attempts and related family history;

2. responding to suspicious behavior or warning signs exhibited by students;

3. responding to crisis situations in which a student is an imminent danger to himself;

4. policies and protocol for communication with parents, including specifications for circumstances in which parental notification is not in the best interest of the student;

5. counseling services available within the school for students and their families related to suicide prevention;

6. information concerning crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and mental health services in the community for students and their families and school employees;

7. community organizations and agencies for referral of students to health, mental health, substance abuse, and social support services, including development of at least one memorandum of understanding between the school system and such an entity in the community or region.

1. the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline hotline number; and

2. a local suicide prevention hotline number, if available.