,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #chdh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #af1 #bjbb ,mr4 ,peters 7for himself and ,ms4 ,stabenow7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,secretary of ,education to make grants to fund additional school-based mental health providers to help reduce psychological harm1 and assist with the return to adaptive coping in schools following a violent or traumatic crisis1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,helping ,education ,after ,loss ,act of #bjbb or the ,,heal ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,on ,tuesday1 ,november #cj1 #bjba1 a student at ,oxford ,high ,school killed and injured several students with a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine4 7#b7 ,children exposed to violence1 injury1 and other potentially traumatic events are at risk for developing traumatic stress reactions1 including as follows3 7,a7 ,the ,national ,center for ,,ptsd estimates that #bh percent of people who have witnessed a mass shooting develop ,,ptsd and #a_/c develop acute stress disorder4 7,b7 ,while some survivors only experience temporary symptoms1 others will be symptomatic for a much longer period of time and even develop chronic psychiatric disorders4 7,c7 ,both short-term and long-term impairments can cause severe distress and have profound effects on academic achievement and the social and emotional growth of impacted students4 7#c7 ,youth with access to mental health services in school-based health centers are #aj times more likely to seek care for mental health or substance abuse than youth without access4 7#d7 ,the leading counseling1 guidance1 and mental health organizations1 including the ,american ,school ,counselor ,association1 the ,national ,association of ,school ,psychologists1 the ,national ,association of ,social ,workers1 and the ,school ,social ,work ,association of ,america1 recommend that schools maintain-- 7,a7 a maximum student to school counselor ratio of #bej to #a2 7,b7 a maximum student to school psychologist ratio of #ejj to #a2 and 7,c7 a maximum student to school social worker ratio of #bej to #a4 7#e7 ,according to the ,education ,trust1 nearly #a in #e students do not have access to a counselor in their school at all1 and many of those students have only limited access to other school support staff1 such as school psychologists or social workers4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,acute crisis response activity ,the term acute crisis response activity means an activity in response to an acute crisis1 including services to provide immediate trauma intervention1 advocacy1 crisis intervention1 death notification1 and victim and survivor assistance4 7#b7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means a local educational agency that serves a school that has experienced a violent or traumatic crisis4 7#c7 ,local educational agency ,the term local educational agency means a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a ,state for either administrative control or direction of1 or to perform a service function for1 public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city1 county1 township1 school district1 or other political subdivision of a ,state1 or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a ,state as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools4 7#d7 ,school-based mental health provider ,the term school-based mental health provider means a ,state-licensed or ,state-certified school counselor1 school psychologist1 school social worker1 community-based mental health provider organization1 or other ,state-licensed or ,state-certified mental health professional qualified under ,state law to provide mental health services to children and adolescents4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 #d4 ,establishment of the acute crisis response grant program 7a7 ,program authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall award non-competitive grants from allotments under paragraph 7#b7 to eligible entities to fund additional full-time1 part-time1 and contractual school-based mental health providers and acute crisis response activities in order to help the eligible entity respond to the violent or traumatic crisis4 7#b7 ,allotments ,from amounts appropriated under section #f for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall allot to each eligible entity an amount that-- 7,a7 is of sufficient size and scope to enable the eligible entity to respond to the violent or traumatic crisis2 and 7,b7 is not more than #bej1jjj for the fiscal year4 7b7 ,duration ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for not longer than a #b-year period1 and may be renewed for an additional #b-year period1 at the ,secretary's discretion4 7c7 ,notice of eligibility ,not later than #cj days after the date of a violent or traumatic crisis that affects a school community1 the ,secretary shall notify the eligible entity that serves such school of the availability of grant awards under this section4 7d7 ,application ,an eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7e7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity awarded a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to hire additional full-time1 part-time1 and contractual school-based mental health providers and acute crisis response activities in order to help the eligible entity respond to the violent or traumatic crisis4 7f7 ,supplement not supplant ,funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement1 and not supplant1 other ,federal1 ,state1 or private funds that would otherwise be expended to respond to the violent or traumatic crisis4 #e4 ,study on the affects of violent and traumatic events in schools 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 in collaboration with ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 shall conduct a special resource study of communities that have experienced a violent or traumatic crisis4 7b7 ,contents ,in conducting the study under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 evaluate how violent and traumatic events can affect a student's mental health1 and the potential risks for developing chronic psychiatric disorders2 and 7#b7 develop evidence-based best practices for a school to return to learning after the school has been disrupted due to violent or traumatic crisis1 including best practices for supporting school staff in such return4 #f4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act-- 7#a7 #ae1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb2 and 7#b7 such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year4