The Texas School Health Advisory Committee met on February 28 to hear HHSC present new mental health and suicide prevention resources available to students, educators, and parents that were developed in collaboration with TEA. Committee also discussed new legislation pieces that affect school health such as SB 9, HB 1525, and HB 3489. A link to the meeting and agenda can be found here.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Item 3 – Presentation from HHS regarding Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources
- HHSC Staff – Language can influence opinions, attitudes and beliefs; when discussing mental health use “person first” language that emphasizes the person first and not the disability
- When discussing suicide avoid using language that insinuates success, failure and completion
- Committed suicide is not an appropriate term because it insinuates the person has committed a crime; suicide is not a crime
- TEA Texas School Mental Health website launched last fall and is a collaboration between UT, TEA, and HHSC; resources, learning portal, new initiatives and recourses for the community
- Project Aware grant awarded to TEA in 2018 to expand school mental health; received a 2021 grant to continue to expand these programs
- Explains tabs available on the website
- About section discusses the Texas health fame work, TEA state mental health plan, key legislation impacting mental health, state and regional Project Aware partners, and reports on student mental health
- School Mental Health Framework (SMHF) is a 3-tier approach; one supports whole community, second promises early intervention and support, and the last provides intensive and specialized services
- Initiative’s tab has information on Project Aware, HB 906 Task force, TEA small and rural grants, mental health first aid which is a free training program and TCHAT
- SMH Tool Kit provides information, recourses and tools for school districts; comprehensive school mental health
- Project Restore is a TEA course that address the loss of health, safety and predictability due to the pandemic available for students and staff; video series
- News tab covers local reports and statewide events highlighting progress made in mental health in schools
- Under the recourses tab there is information specific to educators, parents, students and COVID-19 recourses
- Texas Advancing Safer Schools Roadmap was developed but the Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative; composed of 8 sections that address planning tips, includes supplemental documents intended for informational purposes only
- Documents created by the state suicide plan available in English and Spanish; suicide prevention wallet card, suicide prevention pamphlet, and teacher specific pamphlet that is currently being developed
- We recourses; Suicide Prevention Recourse Center, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Colombia Lighthouse Project, and Live Through This
- Crisis Lines Available; National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and Trevor Project
- TSHAC Chair – How is this information getting distributed to local schools?
- HHSC Staff – TEA has posted on their main website; want to make sure it gets it to all schools and education service centers
- TSHAC Member – There are a few misses in some of these recourses; no education for school nurses and never heard of by parents and students
- HHSC Staff – Agree; want to collaborate with Nursing Association to better prepare staff
Item 4 – Discussion related to House Bill 3489, 87th Legislature Regular Session, 2021, relating to integration of digital devices
- DSHS Staff – Last meeting, committee members requested HB 3289 be set as an agenda item followed by public comment from a parent who supported the bill
- HHSC is leading this bill; not prepared for collaboration yet but will keep TSHAC and DSHS in mind when the time is ready
Item 5 – Discussion related to Senate Bill 9, 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session, 2021, and House Bill 1525, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, which amended Education Code, §28.004, relating to SHAC meeting requirements and curriculum recommendations
- DSHS Staff – DSHS School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) guide is being updated to reflect changes from SB 9 and HB 1525
- Neither of the bills directly impact DSHS but new language in bill required an update in SHAC
- HB 1525 updated the duties of each district’s local SHAC and recommended Human Sexuality curriculum; also updated TSHAC requirements for recording and posting meetings
- SB 9 updated duties of each local SHAC regarding child abuse, sex abuse, and dating abuse curriculum
Item 6 – Updates from subcommittees on document revisions and resources
- TSHAC Member – Working on document called benefits to the students and school districts that prohibit physical education as punishment; group has reevaluated work from 2016 and updated with current studies
- Second item reviews health education for all Texas students; just starting this progress and will have a better update next meeting
- TEA Staff – Does the document regarding physical education as a punishment include SB 712 from the 86th legislation that discusses prohibited disciplinary techniques?
- DSHS Staff – I can confirm it is in the draft
- TSHAC Chair – Can you explain your question; is some physical activity allowed to be disciplinary?
- TEA Staff – SB 712 that discussed the use of aversive techniques as punishment that was in reference to non-violent crisis prevention training
- The code talks about techniques that could be used in situations where students are dangerous to themselves or other; discusses restraint and things of this nature
- TSHAC Member – Update from the Health Education Curriculum subcommittee; group is revieing new legislation and TEKS
- TSHAC Member – Update from late start school activities subcommittee; discovered that current research shows the recommendations and conclusions are supported and will be presented at next meeting
Item 7 – Open Discussion on current topics and trends in School Health
- TSHAC Member – A large concern is social media’s effect on children; thinking about resources and potential interventions we can give to this concern
- TSHAC Chair – Are you suggesting a document to address social media and health
- TSHAC Member – We have resources on screen time; also like to cover parental content concerns and its intersection with student health
- TSHAC Member – DSHS has mentioned a new school nurse orientation; this is helpful training and I want to know if there is progress on this
- DSHS Staff – Document is under review at DSHS; stalled while school nurse consultant is hired
- TSHAC Member – Students at highest risk for committing suicide are LGBTQ students; schools need recourses to support these specific students
- DSHS Staff – Do not have a way to specifically reach this group of students; would investigate schools and their best practices
- TSHAC Member – Licensed athletic trainers are excluded from health services in many districts; some athletic trainers are forbidden from taking care of non-athletic children and I think there needs to be more crossover
- TSHAC Chair – Agreed; good to investigate
Item 8 – Workgroup assignments for resource updates
- DSHS Member – Committee members wanted to update metal health tool kit; currently 3 toolkits are under revision
- Upcoming the review of physical activity impact on student success; do we want to add suicide prevention and mental health to the upcoming docket
- TSHAC Member – I would like to prioritize the bullying prevention toolkit; seen an increase in cyberbullying due to COVID
- TSHAC Chair – Asks committee who would like to join bullying prevention subcommittee; 2 members volunteer
- TSHAC Member – Should update existing suicide prevention document with new recourses we learned today; 2 committee members volunteer to help
- DSHS Staff – Recommend postponing physical education effect on mental health report; committee agrees
Item 9 – Updates from the Texas Education Agency, Texas Department of Agriculture, and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
- TEA Staff – HB 1525 and SB 9 have FAQ documents that are awaiting legal review
- Physical fitness assessment data will be due this June
- Last meeting talked about health and physical education; new PE TEKS were passed for K-8 and 3 new PE courses for high school students
- TEKS do not become effective till August 2022 but can be revied on state website
- SBOE approved new health education TEKS; SBOE did not adopt any materials for kindergarten levels but did approve high school materials
- Districts sill can use any instructional materials that align with TEKS
- TSHAC Member – When will fitness gram data be available; the one being collected this school year
- TEA Staff – Not until fall of next year
- TSHAC Member – Is there any data for the last two years?
- Tea Staff – last year’s data is being reviews; year prior was not recorded due to COVID
- DSHS Staff – Provides new staff updates; beginning process of updating food allergy guidelines
- Texas Department of Agriculture did not present and did not attend meeting
Item 10 – Scheduling of the next TSHAC meeting and future meeting dates
- TSHAC Chair – Next meeting will be September 12th
Item 11 – Future TSHAC agenda topics and priorities
- TSHAC Member – Would like to build bullying toolkit and resources; also looking at speakers for next meeting
- TSHAC Member – Texas School Safety Center would be a great group
- TSHAC Chair – Would anyone like to recommend presentations about the topics presented earlier?
- TSHAC Member – Will reach out to Texas State Athletic Trainer Association
- TSHAC Member – Post-pandemic child health and its connection to obesity rates
- DSHS Staff – Will reach out and see if there is an organization interested
Item 12 – Public comment
William West, Prevention Coordinator at Texas Council for Family Violence
- The intent behind SB 9 is appreciated; previously raised concerns about opt outs and opt ins
- Vulnerable children are likely not going to be opted into this education; would like to help work on provisions to the bill that would increase its impact
Faith Colson, Self
- Hb 3489 was intended to integrate education about technology’s ability to impact health though sleep challenges, anxiety and other dangers
- Wants to see more urgency to push this bill forward
Stacey Vaughn, Vice president at Monique Burr Foundation (MBF)
- MBF has created cost effective and educational recourses regarding dating violence and sex abuse that meets the requirements of SB 9
- Wants to offer support and resources as curriculum