§173. Behavioral health services for students

A.(1) A public school governing authority shall not prohibit a behavioral health provider from providing behavioral health services to a student at school during school hours if the student's parent or legal guardian requests such services from the provider.

(2) Not later than January 1, 2019, each public school governing authority shall adopt a policy to implement the provisions of this Section and such policy, at a minimum, shall provide that:

(a) A behavioral health provider who provides services pursuant to this Section shall maintain general liability insurance coverage in an amount not less than one million dollars per occurrence and one million dollars per aggregate and provide a certificate of insurance naming the public school as the certificate holder.

(b) A behavioral health provider shall complete a criminal background check conducted by the Louisiana State Police and shall pay all related costs.

(c) Behavioral health services shall be permitted during school hours if the student's parent or legal guardian presents a behavioral health evaluation performed by an evaluator chosen by the parent or legal guardian and the evaluation indicates that the services are necessary during school hours to assist the student with behavioral health impairments that the evaluator determines are interfering with the student's ability to thrive in the educational setting. A behavioral health evaluation presented by the parent or legal guardian of a student shall not be construed as an independent educational evaluation for purposes of determining if a student meets the criteria established for eligibility for special education and related services.

(d) Behavioral health services may be provided during instructional time in English, reading, mathematics, and science if the public school governing authority and the behavioral health provider agree that it is in the best interest of the student.

(e) A public school governing authority shall not enter into a contract or an exclusive agreement with a behavioral health provider that prohibits the parent or legal guardian from choosing the behavioral health provider for the student. However the provisions of this Subparagraph shall not impair any extant contract on the effective date of this Section, or the renewal thereof.

(f) The cost of all behavioral health services provided to a student shall be the sole responsibility of the parent or legal guardian, individually or through an applicable health insurance policy, Medicaid, or other third-party payor, other than the public school governing authority, that has made funds available for the payment for the services provided.

(g) While on a school campus, a behavioral service provider shall comply with, and abide by, the terms of any Individualized Education Plan, Individualized Accommodation Plan, Section 504 Plan, Behavior Management Plan, or Individualized Health Plan applicable to a student who is a patient of the provider. The services furnished by a provider shall be incorporated into a written treatment plan applicable to a student.

(h) The parent or legal guardian of a student receiving services from a behavioral service provider shall be required to execute a "consent to release information form" between the provider and the public school governing authority.

(i) A public school governing authority shall establish reporting requirements for a behavioral health provider related to the student's progress and student and school safety concerns as related to the student's educational program.

(j) A public school governing authority may establish sanctions, including termination of a provider's authorization to provide services on any school campus, against a behavioral health provider for failure to comply with the governing authority's policy.

(3) The failure of a public school governing authority to adopt a policy shall not be cause to prohibit the provision of behavioral health services to a student as provided in this Section.

B. For purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Behavioral health evaluation" shall include but not be limited to the following criteria:

(a) Diagnosis.

(b) Type of intervention.

(c) Length of intervention.

(d) Identification of a student's goals.

(e) Identification of impact of student behavior on a student's educational program.

(2) "Behavioral health provider" shall mean a provider who is licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health or a health profession licensing board and is in good standing to provide behavioral health services in Louisiana including but not limited to a psychiatrist, psychologist, medical psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, marriage and family therapist, professional counselor, clinical social worker, or a behavioral health provider organization licensed to provide behavioral health services in Louisiana.

(3) "Behavioral health services" shall include but not be limited to individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, psychotropic medication management, community psychiatric support and treatment, and crisis intervention.

(4) "Evaluator" shall mean a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, medical psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, or clinical social worker who is certified by the respective board of examiners in Louisiana to provide necessary evaluations and who is not an employee of the public school governing authority or the state Department of Education.

C. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to supersede the authority of a student's Individualized Education Program team or Section 504 committee to determine appropriate services for a student pursuant to applicable federal and state law.

Acts 2018, No. 696, §1.