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Belinda Hernandez
Arnold ES

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Irma Gonzalez
Arnold ES

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What is House Bill 18 and what does it mean for schools in Texas?

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What is House Bill 18 and what does it mean for schools in Texas?

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House Bill 18 (HB 18) is a bill that supports mental health in schools. It places a focus on including teaching mental health alongside curriculum.

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What will your role be in implementing the requirements of HB 18?

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What will your role be in implementing the requirements of HB 18?

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The bill requires that educational staff become trained in mental health practices as part of their other required trainings. A principal's role is to enable access to those trainings as well as monitor participation of those trainings. The curriculum will also change to allow more emphasis on mental health. Finding ways and times to adapt the curriculum will be needed.

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What resources will be required, and how will those be funded?

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What resources will be required, and how will those be funded?

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There will be new health curriculum that will be needed. Trainings will come from the district level as well as the region. She was unsure of the funding. When we looked up the verbiage in the bill it stated that elementary campuses will be required as long as funding was sufficient.

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What will your role be in implementing HB 18?

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What will your role be in implementing HB 18?

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A counselor already works to bring awareness to the campus about mental health. HB 18 helps to make that not only the counselor's role but the whole staff's. I will be needed to deliver instruction such as counselor's lessons on mental health awareness. On our campus the counselor runs the PBIS team (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). This works in relation with HB 18. At the elementary level, the counselor's job is to teach preventative measures.

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What kind of resources do you need, if any, to support HB 18?

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What kind of resources do you need, if any, to support HB 18?

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One of the biggest resources that will be needed is time. There are so many roles that a school counselor plays. Allowing for me to work with students and bring awareness to mental health will be critical.

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How can a campus administrator best support the HB 18 initiatives from your perspective?

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How can a campus administrator best support the HB 18 initiatives from your perspective?

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The principal can be the person to lead the initiative on the campus! If the principal makes mental health a focus of the campus, then the staff and families will follow.

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B Hernandez, in person interview, (October 21, 2020).

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I. Gonzalez, in person interview, (October 21, 2020).

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HB 18. (2019, June 12). Texas Classroom Teachers Association. https://tcta.org/node/15161-hb_18

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25% of teacher's required professional development over a 5 year period should be related to mental health.

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Additional TEKs were added to health to include mental health.

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Requires that school counseling programs conform to the most recent edition of the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs developed by TCA.

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Positive behavior management must be the focus instead of discipline.