,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cdec ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #g1 #bjbc,mr4 ,hickenlooper 7for himself and ,ms4 ,murkowski7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to establish a grant program to facilitate peer-to-peer mental health support programs for secondary school students1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,peer-to-,peer ,mental ,health ,support ,act4 #b4 ,peer-to-peer mental health support grant program 7a7 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,assistant ,secretary ,the term ,assistant ,secretary means the ,assistant ,secretary for ,mental ,health and ,substance ,use4 7#b7 ,,esea terms ,the terms evidence-based1 local educational agency1 and secondary school have the meanings given those terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#c7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a local educational agency2 7,b7 an ,indian ,tribe or a ,tribal organization 7as such terms are defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd77 or a ,tribal educational agency2 and 7,c7 the ,bureau of ,indian ,education4 7#d7 ,peer-to-peer mental health support program ,the term peer-to-peer mental health support program means an evidence-based intervention that trains students to become peer support specialists and provide mental health support to other students4 7#e7 ,school-based mental health services provider ,the term school-based mental health services provider has the meaning given the term in section #dajb of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gaab74 7b7 ,grant program 7#a7 ,in general ,beginning not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,assistant ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,education1 as part of the ,project ,,aware 7,advancing ,wellness and ,resiliency in ,education7 program of the ,substance ,abuse and ,mental ,health ,services ,administration1 or a similar program1 shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible entities to carry out evidence-based peer-to-peer mental health support programs for students enrolled in secondary schools4 7#b7 ,sufficient size and scope ,grants awarded under this section shall be of sufficient size and scope to allow recipients to carry out the activities described in this section4 7#c7 ,duration ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than #e years4 7c7 ,applications ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an eligible entity shall submit an application to the ,assistant ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,assistant ,secretary may reasonably require4 7d7 ,use of amounts 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity shall use grant amounts provided under this section only to-- 7,a7 implement new or operate existing evidence-based peer-to-peer mental health support programs that meet the requirements of paragraph 7#b7 in #a or more secondary schools served by the eligible entity2 or 7,b7 provide training to students1 adult supervisors1 and school-based mental health services providers in implementing the evidence-based peer-to-peer mental health support programs that meet the requirements of paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,program requirements ,each peer-to-peer mental health support program funded by a grant under this section shall include1 at a minimum1 the following components3 7,a7 ,training ,peer support specialists and participating school staff overseeing the peer-to-peer mental health support program shall receive training in-- 7i7 empathic listening2 7ii7 enhancing protective mental health factors2 7iii7 recognizing and appropriately responding to risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges1 including suicidal ideation and depression2 7iv7 connecting students with professional mental health services and recovery supports1 as necessary2 7v7 recognizing and appropriately responding to risk factors and warning signs associated with mental health and substance use challenges1 including co-occurring challenges2 and 7vi7 other areas included in the ,national ,model ,standards for ,peer ,support ,certification of the ,substance ,abuse and ,mental ,health ,services ,administration4 7,b7 ,program oversight ,each peer-to-peer mental health support program shall-- 7i7 be overseen by a trained and certified youth peer support supervisor2 and 7ii7 receive guidance from a school-based mental health services provider4 7,c7 ,,ferpa ,any education record of a student collected or maintained under subsection 7d7 shall have the protections required for education records under section #ddd of the ,general ,education ,provisions ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #abcb;g74 7e7 ,relationship to other ,federal programs ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may combine such grant funds with other ,federal funds to support the activities carried out under this section4 7f7 ,priority2 amounts 7#a7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,assistant ,secretary shall give priority to applications submitted by eligible entities that-- 7,a7 propose to use grant amounts to establish new peer-to-peer mental health support programs in a majority of secondary schools served by such eligible entity2 7,b7 propose to use grant amounts to establish a new peer-to-peer mental health support program in #a or more secondary schools without such programs2 7,c7 propose to use grant amounts for peer-to-peer mental health support programs that have a suicide prevention component2 or 7,d7 are located in areas that have high rates of suicide or have experienced recent traumatic events4 7#b7 ,grant amounts ,a grant awarded to an eligible entity under the ,program may not exceed #bej1jjj4 7g7 ,evaluation2 report 7#a7 ,evaluation ,the ,assistant ,secretary shall carry out an evaluation to measure the efficacy of the program under this section4 ,the evaluation shall measure-- 7,a7 student participation in the peer-to-peer mental health support program and include a demographic analysis2 7,b7 the efficacy of the training provided to peer support specialists and school staff in increasing their knowledge of protective factors1 risk factors1 and warning signs of mental health challenges2 and 7,c7 the percentage of students participating in the peer-to-peer mental health support program who report improved mental health outcomes or are connected to professional mental health services4 7#b7 ,report ,the ,assistant ,secretary shall prepare and submit a report to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce and the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives containing the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph 7#a74 7h7 ,technical assistance ,the ,assistant ,secretary1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,education1 shall provide technical assistance to eligible entities applying for and receiving grants under this section1 which shall include the development and dissemination of best practices for evidence-based peer-to-peer mental health support programs4 7i7 ,rule of construction ,section #djja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gaja7 7not including the exception under subsection 7a77#b77;,b77i7 of such section7 shall apply to an entity receiving a grant under this section in the same manner as such section applies to an entity receiving funding under title ,,iv of such ,act4 7j7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #bj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years from #bjbd through #bjbh4 7#b7 ,reservations ,from the total amount appropriated under paragraph 7#a7 for a fiscal year1 the ,assistant ,secretary shall reserve-- 7,a7 not more than #b percent for awards to eligible entities described in subsection 7a77#c77;,c72 7,b7 not less than #b percent for technical assistance and administration2 and 7,c7 not more than #b percent for evaluation1 in accordance with subsection 7g74