Int. No. 1162
By Council Member Hankerson
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to school-based mental health services
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.35 to read as follows:
§ 17-199.35 School-based mental health coordination. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
High school. The term “high school” means any school of the city school district that contains grades from grade 9 to grade 12.
Mental health coordinator. The term “mental health coordinator” means a person with a background in mental health or wellness services, such as a licensed clinical social worker, licensed mental health counselor, licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, school counselor, social worker, or a candidate for licensure in any such field enrolled in an accredited degree or internship program, who is assigned to a middle or high school for the purpose of coordinating and facilitating access to mental health support services for students.
Mental health first aid training. The term “mental health first aid training” means a standardized, evidence-based training program, including but not limited to, Mental Health First Aid USA or a substantially similar training program recognized by the department, that provides persons with skills to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in others.
Middle school. The term “middle school” means any school of the city school district that contains grades from grade 6 through grade 8.
Parent-teacher association. The term “parent-teacher association” means any parent association or parent-teacher association at a middle school or high school which advocates for students and families, updates parents and families about middle school or high school, and plans and runs activities for parents and families.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.
b. Mental health coordinators in schools. 1. The department shall provide mental health coordinators to every middle school and high school. In implementing this section, the department shall make best efforts to avoid duplicative services or administrative burdens on middle schools and high schools that already receive substantially similar mental health or wellness coordination through existing programs, including community-based organization counseling programs, school-based mental health initiatives, or other partnerships.
2. The department shall not be required to provide a mental health coordinator to a middle school or a high school pursuant to this section where the department, in consultation with the department of education and any applicable parent-teacher associations, determines that the middle or high school already has sufficient existing mental health or wellness coordination resources and supports in place and that the assignment of an additional mental health coordinator would unnecessarily duplicate services or create an undue administrative burden.
3. In prioritizing placement of mental health coordinators, the department shall prioritize middle schools and high schools with demonstrated indicators of elevated student mental health or wellness need, including:
(a) Middle schools and high schools or surrounding communities with elevated rates of youth crime or violence;
(b) Middle schools and high schools or surrounding communities with elevated rates of reported depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide attempts, or other mental health challenges among youth;
(c) Middle schools and high schools identified as high-need based on absenteeism, disciplinary incidents, housing instability, or other indicators determined by the department; and
(d) Middle schools and high schools located in community school districts with limited access to school-based or community-based mental health services.
4. In carrying out the requirements of this section, the department shall make best efforts to:
(a) Recruit licensed mental health professionals and mental health professional candidates, including persons studying to become licensed clinical social workers, licensed mental health counselors, or licensed psychologists, for voluntary participation as mental health coordinators;
(b) Develop or strengthen partnerships with accredited universities, and professional training programs in mental health disciplines to recruit and place professional candidates as mental health coordinators in middle schools and high schools;
(c) Identify and utilize community-based mental health providers that have existing contracts, memoranda of understanding, or established partnerships with middle schools and high schools to fulfill, in whole or in part, the mental health coordinator function at those schools; and
(d) Coordinate with relevant agencies to facilitate the placement of mental health coordinators within middle schools and high schools and to ensure that such agencies receive timely information regarding available coordinators and placement opportunities.
c. Report on mental health coordinators. No later than 1 year after the effective date of the local law that added this section, and every 6 months thereafter, the department shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post on its website, a report on the status of mental health coordinator placement in middle schools and high schools. Such report shall include, at a minimum:
1. The number of middle schools and high schools that have a mental health coordinator, or substantially similar service, disaggregated by community school district and borough;
2. The number of middle schools and high schools that do not have a mental health coordinator, or substantially similar service, disaggregated by community school district and borough;
3. The number of middle schools and high schools that the department determined do not require the services of a mental health coordinator, disaggregated by community school district and borough, and the primary stated reason for such determination;
4. The number of mental health coordinators serving middle schools and high schools who are licensed mental health professionals and the number who are professional candidates;
5. The number of mental health coordinators serving middle schools and high schools who are employed by, or placed through, a community-based mental health provider;
6. The number of middle schools and high schools prioritized for placement pursuant to paragraph 4 of subdivision b of this section and the criteria used for such prioritization; and
7. Any challenges identified in recruiting, placing, or retaining mental health coordinators, and the department’s recommendations for addressing such challenges.
d. Mental health school resource guide. The department, in consultation with the relevant agencies, shall develop and maintain a mental health school resource guide that lists all available mental health and wellness resources that are accessible to students attending middle schools and high schools. The department shall update the guide no less frequently than once per academic year to reflect current information. The department shall make the guide available to the department of education at the beginning of each academic year in English and in each of the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101. The commissioner shall also post such guide on the department’s website. The mental health school resource guide shall include, at a minimum:
1. Any on-site or co-located mental health coordinator, school counselor, school psychologist, or social worker assigned to the middle school or high school;
2. Any school-based mental health clinic operating at or in connection with the middle school or high school;
3. Any community-based mental health provider with an active partnership, contract, or memorandum of understanding to provide services to students at the middle school or high school;
4. Existing counseling and wellness programs operated by community-based organizations at the middle school or high school;
5. Student wellness organizations or mental wellness clubs operating at the middle school or high school, where applicable;
6. Mental health services accessible to students and families in the community school district in which the middle school or high school is located; and
7. A list of crisis and emergency mental health resources that are available citywide.
e. Mental health first aid training for school staff. The department shall make available mental health first aid training to all staff at middle schools and high schools. No later than 1 year after the effective date of the local law that added this section, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit to the mayor and speaker of the council a report on the number of middle school and high school staff who have taken mental health first aid training, disaggregated by community school district and borough.
§ 2. Chapter 8 of title 21-a of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-969.4 to read as follows:
§ 21-969.4 Mental health school resource guide. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
High school. The term “high school” means any school of the city school district that contains grades from grade 9 to grade 12.
Middle school. The term “middle school” means any school of the city school district that contains grades from grade 6 through grade 8.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.
b. Distribution of mental health school resource guide. Each academic year, the department shall make available in each middle school and high school, on the department’s website, and on any online student portal, the mental health school resource guide developed by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to section 17-199.34. The department shall make available such guides in English and the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101. Each middle school and high school shall publicize the availability of the guide to its students, and where practicable, coordinate with parent-teacher associations and existing student wellness organizations or mental wellness clubs to publicize the availability of such guide and related student support resources.
§ 3. Chapter 3 of title 21-a of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-953 to read as follows:
§ 21-953 Annual reporting on school-based mental health clinics. a. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
High school. The term “high school” means any school of the city school district that contains grades from grade 9 to grade 12.
Middle school. The term “middle school” means any school of the city school district that contains grades from grade 6 through grade 8.
School-based mental health clinic. The term “school-based mental health clinic” means a licensed outpatient mental health clinic that operates at or in coordination with a middle school or high school and that provides direct mental health treatment services to students.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.
b. No later than July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit to the council and post on the department’s website a report of information regarding school-based mental health clinics for the most recent academic year. Such report shall include, at a minimum:
1. The number and location of school-based mental health clinics operating at or in connection with middle schools and high schools, disaggregated by community school district and borough;
2. The types of mental health services provided by such clinics, including but not limited to, individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, crisis intervention, and case management;
3. Aggregate and anonymized data on clinic utilization, including the number of students served and the number of clinic visits;
4. An assessment of unmet need and barriers to access at existing school-based mental health clinics, including clinic capacity, staffing levels, student-to-clinician ratios, wait times, and transportation or scheduling challenges;
5. A review of whether school-based mental health clinic services should be expanded to additional schools, including identification of schools or community school districts that may be underserved;
6. Any recommendations for improving the quality, accessibility, or geographic distribution of school-based mental health clinic services; and
7. The extent to which school-based mental health clinic services are coordinated with existing community-based organization counseling programs, student wellness initiatives, and other school-based supports to reduce duplication of services and administrative burdens.
§ 4. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.
SOS
LS # 22274
10/9/25 11:45am