Bill Text: NH HB1648 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requiring public colleges and universities to implement peer support groups and develop policies for students with mental health conditions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-16 - Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/16/2022 House Journal 3 [HB1648 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2022-HB1648-Introduced.html
HB 1648-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2022 SESSION
22-2709
04/11
HOUSE BILL 1648-FN
SPONSORS: Rep. Labranche, Hills. 22; Rep. Gallager, Merr. 15; Rep. Laughton, Hills. 31; Rep. Klein-Knight, Hills. 11
COMMITTEE: Education
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires public colleges and universities to implement peer support groups and develop policies for students with mental health conditions.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
22-2709
04/11
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Findings. The general court finds that:
I. Mental health is a pressing and growing issue on college campuses across this state and the country. A recent national survey found that one in 4 college students are treated for or diagnosed with a mental health condition and one in 5 has considered suicide.
II. About 75 percent of all mental health conditions start by age 24, with higher rates of diagnosed disorders in college-aged students. College counseling center directors believe mental health conditions among students on their campuses are increasing, signaling a growing issue that shall be addressed.
III. Students who come from low-income households are more likely to have a mental health condition.
IV. Between 2007 and 2017, the diagnosis rate of college students increased from 22 percent to 36 percent, indicating a higher need for services. Treatment rates over the same period increased by 15 percent.
V. Young adults are less likely to receive mental health support than any other age group. College campuses can play a big role in addressing this challenge.
VI. College-aged students are more accepting of mental health services than the general population, but most struggle accessing them. An overwhelming 96 percent of college students reported they would provide support to peers whom they knew were thinking about suicide.
VII. Many students lack knowledge of mental health signs and symptoms and do not know how to help or where to refer their friends for services.
VIII. Services offered by most college campuses are limited in scope and capacity, with 67 percent of campus counseling center directors saying that their campus psychiatric service capacity is inadequate or does not meet student demand.
IX. Combined with a dearth of available services, the vast majority of students do not seek out services, many students who complete a suicide never received on-campus services. Paying for community-based services is an issue for about half of students. Combining insufficient on-campus services with unaffordable community resources leaves students on their own.
2 New Chapter; Mental Health Services on College Campuses. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 188-H the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 188-I
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
188-I:1 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to:
I. Further identify students with mental health needs and connect them to services.
II. Increase access to support services on college campuses.
III. Increase access to clinical mental health services on college campuses and in the surrounding communities for college students.
IV. Empower students through peer-to-peer support and training on identifying mental health needs and resources.
V. Reduce administrative policies that put an undue burden on students seeking leave for their mental health conditions through technical assistance and training.
188-I:2 Definitions. In this chapter:
I. "Advisor" means a staff member who provides academic, professional, and personal support to students.
II. "Campus security" means a law enforcement officer who has completed his or her probationary period and is employed as a security officer or campus police officer by a public college or university.
III. "Linkage agreement" means a formal agreement between a public college or university and an off-campus mental health provider or agency.
IV. "Mental health condition" means a symptom consistent with a mental illness, or a diagnosed mental illness.
V. "Public college or university" means any institution in the university system of New Hampshire or the community college system of New Hampshire.
VI. "Recovery model" means the model developed by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that defines the process of recovery and includes the 4 major dimensions that support a life in recovery, which are health, home, purpose, and community.
VII. "Resident assistant" means a student who is responsible for supervising and assisting other, typically younger, students who live in the same student housing facility.
VIII. "Telehealth" means the evaluation, diagnosis, or interpretation of electronically transmitted patient-specific data between a remote location and a licensed health care professional that generates interaction or treatment recommendations. "Telehealth" includes telemedicine and the delivery of health care services provided by an interactive telecommunications system, as defined in RSA 310-A:1-g.
188-I:3 Awareness Requirements. Each public college or university shall:
I. Develop and implement an annual student orientation session aimed at raising awareness about mental health conditions.
II. Assess courses and seminars available to students through their regular academic experiences and implement mental health awareness curricula if opportunities for integration exist.
III. Create and feature a page on its website or mobile application with information dedicated solely to the mental health resources available to students at the public college or university and in the surrounding community.
IV. Distribute messages related to mental health resources that encourage help-seeking behavior through the online learning platform of the public college or university during high stress periods of the academic year, including, but not limited to, midterm or final examinations. These stigma-reducing strategies shall be based on documented best practices.
V. No later than 3 years after the effective date of this chapter, implement an online screening tool to raise awareness and establish a mechanism to link or refer students of the public college or university to services. Screenings and resources shall be available year round for students and, at a minimum, shall include validated screening tools for depression, an anxiety disorder, an eating disorder, substance use, alcohol-use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, provide resources for immediate connection to services, if indicated, including emergency resources, provide general information about all mental health-related resources available to students of the public college or university, and function anonymously.
VI. At least once per term and at times of high academic stress, including midterm or final examinations, provide students information regarding online screenings and resources.
188-I:4 Training.
I. The board of trustees of each public college or university shall designate an expert panel to develop and implement policies and procedures that advise students, faculty, and staff on the proper procedures for identifying and addressing the needs of students exhibiting symptoms of mental health conditions, promote understanding of the rules of Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to increase knowledge and understanding of student protections under the law, and provide training if appropriate.
II. All resident assistants in a student housing facility, advisors, and campus security of a public college or university shall participate in a national mental health first aid training course or a similar program prior to the commencement of their duties. Training shall include the policies and procedures developed by the public college or university referenced under paragraph I.
188-I:5 Peer Support.
I. Each public college or university shall develop and implement a peer support program utilizing student peers to support individuals living with mental health conditions on campus. Peer support programs may be housed within resident assistant programs, counseling centers, or wellness centers on campus.
II. Peer support programs shall utilize best practices for peer support, including, but not limited to: utilizing the tenets of the recovery model for mental health; adequate planning and preparation, including standardizing guidance and practices, identifying needs of the target population, and aligning program goals to meet those needs; clearly articulating policies, especially around role boundaries and confidentiality; systematic screening with defined selection criteria for peer supporters, such as communication skills, leadership ability, character, previous experience or training, and ability to serve as a positive role model; identifying benefits from peer status, such as experiential learning, social support, leadership, and improved self-confidence; continuing education for peer supporters to support each other and improve peer support skills, and flexibility in availability by offering services through drop-in immediate support and the ability to book appointments.
188-I:6 Local Partnerships.
I. Each public college or university shall form strategic partnerships with local mental health service providers to improve overall campus mental wellness and augment on-campus capacity. The strategic partnerships shall include linkage agreements with off-campus mental health service providers that establish a foundation for referrals for students when needs cannot be met on campus due to capacity or preference of the student. The strategic partnerships shall also include avenues for on-campus and off-campus mental health service providers to increase visibility to students via marketing and outreach; opportunities to engage the student body through student outreach initiatives like mindfulness workshops or campus-wide wellness fairs; and opportunities to support awareness and training requirements under this chapter.
II. Through a combination of on-campus capacity, off-campus linkage agreements with mental health service providers, and contracted telehealth therapy services, each public college or university shall attempt to meet a benchmark ratio of one clinical, non-student staff member to 1,250 students. If linkage agreements are used, the agreements shall include the capacity of students providers are expected to serve within the agency. No later than 2 years after the effective date of this chapter, and once every 5 years thereafter, the technical assistance center developed under RSA 188-I:7 shall propose to the general court an updated ratio based on actual ratios in this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for clinician-to-student ratios. The updated benchmark shall represent a ratio of no less than one clinical, non-student staff member to 1,250 students.
III. Each public college or university shall work with local resources, such as on-campus mental health counseling centers or wellness centers, local mental health service providers, or non-providers, such as affiliates of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and any other resources to meet the awareness and training requirements under RSA 188-I:3 and RSA 188-I:4.
188-I:7 Technical Assistance Center. The higher education commission established in RSA 21-N:8-a, II shall develop a technical assistance center that is responsible for all of the following:
I. Developing standardized policies for medical leave related to mental health conditions for students of a public college or university, which may be adopted by the public college or university.
II. Providing tailored support to public colleges or universities in reviewing policies related to students living with mental health conditions and their academic standing.
III. Establishing initial standards for policies and procedures under RSA 188-I:3.
IV. Disseminating best practices around peer support programs, including widely accepted selection criteria for individuals serving in a peer support role.
V. Developing statewide standards and best practices for partnerships between local mental health agencies and college campuses across this state.
VI. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data related to mental health needs and academic engagement across this state.
VII. Housing data collected by each public college or university related to RSA 188-I:8 and analyzing and disseminating best practices to each public college or university and the public based on that data.
VIII. Monitoring and evaluating linkage agreements under RSA 188-I:6 to ensure capacity is met by each public college or university.
IX. Facilitating a learning community across all public colleges or universities to support capacity building and learning across those institutions.
188-I:8 Evaluation. Each public college or university shall evaluate the following programs in the following manner:
I. Awareness and training programs under RSA 188-I:3 and RSA 188-I:4 shall be monitored for effectiveness and quality by the public college or university. Monitoring measures shall include, but are not limited to: increased understanding of mental health conditions; reduced stigma toward mental health conditions; increased understanding of mental health resources available to students; increased understanding of resources for mental health emergencies available to students; and viewing each mental health resource website or mobile application of the public college or university.
II. Peer support programs under RSA 188-I:5 shall be monitored for effectiveness and quality by the public college or university. Monitoring measures shall include, but are not limited to: improved symptomatology; if needed, connection to additional services; student satisfaction; wait time for drop-in appointments; wait time for scheduled appointments, and satisfaction with the training curriculum for peer supporters.
III. Local partnership programs under RSA 188-I:6 shall be monitored for effectiveness and quality by the public college or university. Monitoring measures shall include, but are not limited to: wait time for drop-in appointments for on-campus or off-campus tele health therapy providers; wait time for scheduled appointments for on-campus or off-campus tele health therapy providers; the ratio of clinical, non-student staff to student population and the number of linkage agreements and contracts in place based on student population; student satisfaction with on-campus or off-campus telehealth therapy providers; range of treatment models offered to students; average length of stay in treatment; number and range of student outreach initiatives, such as telehealth mindfulness workshops or campus-wide wellness fairs, and number of students being served annually.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
22-2709
12/20/21
HB 1648-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Funding Source: | [ ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ X ] Other - USNH and CCSNH Operating Expenses | |||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires New Hampshire postsecondary institutions to implement policies and procedures for identifying students with mental health needs, increasing access to support services, connecting students to support services, and implementing peer support groups. This bill imposes many requirements on the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) and Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH), including but not limited to, conducting a student orientation session for mental health awareness, implementing an online screening tool, establishing a peer support program, and monitoring/evaluating the effectiveness the program. These requirements are expected to result in increased costs to both systems (the amounts below reflect the first, full-year costs and future years would likely have increases attributable to inflation and collective bargaining adjustments):
University System of New Hampshire (USNH)
The fiscal impact on USNH operations is estimated to be an increase in operating expense of approximately $264,000 annual:
| Hours | Rate | Expense UNH | Expense PSU | Expense KSC | System Total |
HR Expense |
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QPR Train the Trainer Certification Course | 120 | $40.93 | $4,912 | $1,228 | $884 |
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Staffing for student orientation & peer programs, staff trainings, outreach & marketing/promotion, program evaluation | 170 | $40.93 | $6,958 | $1,740 | $1,252 |
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Per diem clinicians to meet student:staff ratio | 660 | $38.00 | $25,080 | - | - |
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Health educator/prevention specialist, full-time | annual comp | - | $58,170 | - |
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Platform Annual Fees |
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Welltrack (interactive self-help) |
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| $17,000 | - | $17,000 |
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Uwill (teletherapy) |
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| $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 |
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Mindwise (online screenings) |
|
| $900 | $900 | $900 |
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Other |
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|
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Marketing materials |
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| $5,000 | $1,250 | $900 |
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Total: |
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| $99,850 | $103,288 | $60,936 | $264,074 |
Notes:
· UNH includes Durham, Manchester, School of Law, and Granite State.
· PSU currently uses the Welltrack platform.
· UNH and KSC currently have health educator/prevention staff.
· PSU annual compensation estimated at $42,000 salary + $16,170 benefits.
· PSU and KSC currently meet student:staff ratio.
· PSU and KSC HR hourly expense and marketing materials reflect a percentage of UNH expense based on institutional ratio of relevant staff headcount (student affairs and healthcare) + total student headcount. PSU = 25 %; KSC = 18%.
Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH)
To meet the requirements of this bill, CCSNH states it would need to hire a new coordinator of mental health support programs position for each college, a central compliance and program officer, and to contract with an outside vendor for the development and operation of an online screening tool:
One (1) Central Compliance and Review Officer | $95,900 |
Seven (7) College-Based Coordinators ($76,720 salary/benefits each) | $537,040 |
Online Screening Tool (Outside Vendor) | $234,000 |
Total | $866,940 |
For both USNH and CCSNH above, the personnel costs represent full-year amounts, however new positions may not be filled by July 1, 2022, therefore actual expenses in FY 2023 may be lower.
This bill has no impact on state general fund appropriations to USNH or CCSNH.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
University System of New Hampshire and Community College System of New Hampshire
