Resolve, To Direct the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services To Require the Teaching of Mental Health Awareness in Middle Schools Based on a National Curriculum

Sec. 1. Convening of a team to develop a plan for implementing a curriculum on mental health awareness in middle schools. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services shall convene a planning team, referred to in this resolve as "the planning team," to develop a plan for implementing a curriculum that teaches mental health awareness in middle schools. The planning team must include departmental personnel, middle school teachers and school administrators with expertise in curriculum design, representatives of agencies with expertise in the treatment of mental illness or mental health promotion and interested parties. The planning team may seek assistance from outside the team membership in addressing its charge and meeting its responsibilities.

1. First meeting; staff support. The commissioners shall convene the first meeting of the planning team no later than 30 days after the effective date of this resolve. The commissioners shall provide staff and technical assistance to the planning team within existing departmental resources.

2. Duties. The planning team shall develop a plan for implementing a curriculum that teaches mental health awareness in middle schools, including a timeline for implementing its recommended plan with clear benchmarks for phasing in the plan by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. The planning team shall examine "The Science of Mental Illness: National Institutes of Health Curriculum Supplement for Middle School," the curriculum supplement from the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Science Education and the National Institute of Mental Health, and other relevant curricula for teaching mental health awareness for middle school students that address the biological, psychological and environmental aspects of mental illnesses and how scientific evidence and research can help in understanding the causes and treatments of mental illnesses. The planning team shall review the standards related to the middle school grades for the content area of health, physical education and wellness in the system of learning results established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6209. The planning team shall explore federal and private funding available to supplement state resources to implement its plan to teach mental health awareness in middle schools.

3. Report. The planning team shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters no later than December 31, 2009. The report must present the plan recommended by the planning team and a detailed timeline for implementing the plan; and be it further

Sec. 2. Legislation authorized. Resolved: That the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature regarding implementation of a plan developed pursuant to this resolve to teach mental health awareness in middle schools.

summary

This resolve directs the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to convene a planning team to develop a plan to teach mental health awareness in middle schools by the 2010-2011 school year. It requires that the planning team report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters no later than December 31, 2009. It authorizes the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters to submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature.