Colo. Rev. Stat. § 22-102-105, Implementation of pilot program

(1) In the first and subsequent years of operation of the pilot program, each pilot school shall employ or contract with additional school mental health professionals so that each of grades one through five and the kindergarten program in each pilot school has a school mental health professional dedicated to each grade and the kindergarten program. If a single grade or the kindergarten program has more than two hundred fifty students, additional school mental health professionals must be added to the grade or kindergarten program to maintain a ratio of approximately one school mental health professional per two hundred fifty students, as determined by the pilot school. A small pilot school shall maintain a ratio of approximately one school mental health professional per two hundred fifty students, as determined by the pilot school. At least one of the school mental health professionals at each pilot school must be a school social worker.

(2) The goal of the pilot program is for a school mental health professional to develop an ongoing relationship with pilot school students and to follow those students, to the extent possible, as the students advance through the grades at the pilot school. This will allow the school mental health professional to understand the needs of the students and their families over time and to help address those needs over time, if necessary. To achieve this goal, school mental health professionals may be assigned to a cohort of students by grade or, in a smaller school, by multiple grades. School mental health professionals in each pilot school shall work as a team to address the academic and social-emotional needs of the pilot school's students and to create a safe and positive school learning environment through additional behavioral health supports.

(3) Throughout the duration of the pilot program, the pilot school must employ or contract with, at the pilot school's expense, the same number of school mental health professionals employed by or contracted with the pilot school during the school year immediately preceding the first year of implementation of the pilot program so that additional money for the pilot program supplements, but does not supplant, the pilot school's existing expenditures for school mental health professional positions prior to the operation of the pilot program.

(4) (a) In implementing the pilot program, the school mental health professionals shall work as a team, with each professional providing services to students and offering training and resources to school faculty and administrators who are authorized under the school mental health professional's authorization or the professional's license and endorsement.

(b) In addition, school mental health professionals shall, consistent with the school mental health professional's job duties and licensure:

(I) Provide the school with resources to develop and improve the social and emotional health of students, including resources translated into the primary languages of the student population to the extent possible, and create a safe and positive learning environment through additional behavioral health supports; and

(II) Provide social and emotional skill building in the school and with students in the classroom.

(c) School mental health professionals may, consistent with the school mental health professional's job duties and licensure:

(I) Assist students and their families with applying for and obtaining necessary public benefits for which each student and the student's family is eligible;

(II) Provide services and supports to students who have an individualized education program, as provided in section 22-20-108;

(III) Consult and coordinate with other school professionals on behalf of students and support families accessing community-based resources as needed and appropriate; and

(IV) Identify food insecurity, homelessness, and other issues affecting students and make referrals to services within the community, bringing those services into the school setting where possible.

(d) As appropriate, and to the extent possible, the school mental health professional must provide services or arrange for services to be provided for students at the school and during school hours or when student busing is available.

(e) Services provided by the school mental health professional to the student must include the student's family and household, where appropriate. The school mental health professional is specifically authorized to make home visits when appropriate under the circumstances and consistent with licensure.

(5) Each pilot school's team of school mental health professionals shall participate in the school's or school district's multi-tiered systems of support process to assist in developing appropriate plans for the mental health and behavioral needs of individual students.

(6) Each pilot school, or each pilot school's governing body, where appropriate, shall collect, transmit, and retain any data and information necessary for the evaluation of the pilot program pursuant to section 22-102-106. Each pilot school shall record the unique student identifier, as defined in section 22-16-103, for all students enrolled in the pilot school.

(7) A student who is home-schooled but who participates in extracurricular activities or athletic programs at a school that is selected as a pilot school is excluded from any data collection or reporting requirements pursuant to this article 102.

Source: L. 2019: Entire article added, (HB 19-1017), ch. 156, p. 1849, � 1, effective August 2. L. 2020: (3) amended, (HB 20-1418), ch. 197, p. 943, � 9, effective June 30. L. 2022: (4)(a) amended, (HB 22-1390), ch. 237, p. 1750, � 17, effective May 26.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 20-1418, see section 1 of chapter 197, Session Laws of Colorado 2020. For the legislative declaration in HB 22-1390, see section 1 of chapter 237, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.

22-102-106. Pilot program coordinator - evaluation of pilot program - student impacts and outcomes. (1) The department shall employ or contract with a pilot program coordinator to oversee the implementation of the pilot program across the pilot schools. The pilot program coordinator must be a school social worker who shall work with each pilot school's team of school mental health professionals. The duties of the pilot program coordinator include, at a minimum:

(a) Coordinating data collection and program evaluation requirements with the professional program evaluator retained pursuant to subsection (2) of this section;

(b) Serving as a contact person and resource for teams of school mental health professionals in the pilot schools;

(d) Sharing best practices relating to the pilot program and its implementation at the pilot schools; and

(e) Ensuring fidelity to the goals of the pilot program across the pilot schools.

(2) (a) The department shall select a professional program evaluator to complete a preliminary evaluation of the pilot program on or before September 1 of the second full school year of implementation of the pilot program and a final evaluation of the pilot program to be completed on or before September 1 immediately following the conclusion of the final school year of the pilot program. Subject to available appropriations or gifts, grants, or donations for the four-year term of the pilot program, the department shall contract with the evaluator in the school year prior to the implementation of the pilot program in the pilot schools to create a process for the collection and transmission of data and information to the evaluator to ensure that the evaluator has the data and information necessary to complete the preliminary and final reports concerning the impact and outcomes of the pilot program. The pilot program evaluator, in conjunction with the department, shall select a group of control schools that have school characteristics and student demographics similar to those of the pilot schools to serve as a control group for purposes of evaluating the impacts and outcomes of the pilot program on participating students and pilot schools. Data collected for pilot schools and control group schools must include data from school climate and healthy schools surveys for any grade in which such surveys have been created.

(b) The department shall select a professional program evaluator that has the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of services provided by the pilot program and the resulting impacts and outcomes of the pilot program on the student cohorts participating in the pilot program. The department is encouraged, but is not required, to contract with a state institution of higher education to complete the evaluation of the pilot program.

(c) The department and the pilot schools shall cooperate fully with the pilot program evaluator's collection and analysis of data and information relating to the pilot program's impact and outcomes. The department, pilot schools, the pilot program coordinator, and the contracted evaluator shall comply with all state and federal laws relating to the confidentiality of academic and medical records of students and shall provide aggregated data where appropriate.

(d) The pilot program evaluator shall determine the impact of the pilot program on students' academic, mental, social-emotional, and physical health and well-being. The evaluator shall collect and analyze data relating to student and school outcomes, which outcomes may include:

(I) The increase or decrease in students' disciplinary referrals, either within the pilot school, or pilot school's district, if relevant, or with law enforcement, and the increase or decrease in students adjudicated delinquent within the pilot school's district;

(II) The increase or decrease in students' lost instruction time due to disciplinary action or visits to the school nurse or school counselor;

(III) The increase or decrease in excused and unexcused absences and truancy;

(IV) The increase or decrease in overall student performance on statewide assessments, by grade;

(V) The increase or decrease in the student cohorts' grade point average, by grade;

(VI) The increase in access to supportive services for students and their families, as evidenced by:

(A) An increase in the number or percentage of students identified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals, by grade;

(B) An increase in employment outcomes for students' families;

(C) An increase or decrease in students' food security as demonstrated by an increase or decrease in the number or percentage of students participating in the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program;

(D) An increase or decrease in the number or percentage of eligible students accessing public benefits;

(E) An increase or decrease in the pilot schools' awareness of or involvement with domestic violence or child abuse issues affecting students;

(F) Impact on the school's learning environment and changes to the school climate during the operation of the pilot program and evaluation of school climate;

(G) The reduction in adverse childhood experiences or the positive resolution of adverse childhood experiences, if available;

(H) The reduction in youth suicide and attempted suicide; and

(VII) Any other relevant data and information relating to pilot program outcomes and impacts as determined by the pilot program evaluator.

Source: L. 2019: Entire article added, (HB 19-1017), ch. 156, p. 1851, � 1, effective August 2. L. 2020: (2)(a) amended, (HB 20-1418), ch. 197, p. 943, � 10, effective June 30. L. 2022: (2)(a) amended, (HB 22-1390), ch. 237, p. 1751, � 18, effective May 26.