HB2322eng 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2322 Engrossed LRB098 09596 NHT 39742 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 14-1.09.2 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/14-1.09.2)

Sec. 14-1.09.2. School Social Work Services. In the public schools, social work services may be provided by qualified specialists who hold Type 73 School Service Personnel Certificates endorsed for school social work issued by the State Teacher Certification Board or who hold a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school social worker under Section 21B-25 of this Code.

School social work services may include, but are not limited to:

(1) Identifying students in need of special education services by conducting a social-developmental study in a case study evaluation;

(2) Developing and implementing comprehensive interventions with students, parents, and teachers that will enhance student adjustment to, and performance in, the school setting;

(3) Consulting and collaborating with teachers and other school personnel regarding behavior management and intervention plans and inclusion in support of special education students in regular classroom settings;

(4) Counseling with students, parents, and teachers in accordance with the rules and regulations governing provision of related services, provided that parent permission must be obtained in writing before a student participates in a group counseling session;

(5) Acting as a liaison between the public schools and community resources;

(6) Developing and implementing school-based prevention programs, including mediation and violence prevention, implementing social and emotional education programs and services, and establishing and implementing bullying prevention and intervention programs;

(7) Providing crisis intervention within the school setting;

(8) Supervising school social work interns enrolled in school social work programs that meet the standards established by the State Board of Education;

(9) Providing parent education and counseling as appropriate in relation to the child's educational assessment; and

(10) Assisting in completing a functional behavioral assessment, as well as assisting in the development of nonaversive behavioral intervention strategies; and .

(11) Evaluating program effectiveness.

Nothing in this Section prohibits other certified professionals from providing any of the services listed in this Section for which they are appropriately trained.

(Source: P.A. 92-362, eff. 8-15-01; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)

Section 10. The Children's Mental Health Act of 2003 is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

(405 ILCS 49/15)

Sec. 15. Mental health and schools.

(a) The Illinois State Board of Education shall develop and implement a plan to incorporate social and emotional development standards as part of the Illinois Learning Standards for the purpose of enhancing and measuring children's school readiness and ability to achieve academic success. The plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Partnership by December 31, 2004.

(b) Every Illinois school district shall develop a policy for incorporating social and emotional development into the district's educational program. The policy shall address teaching and assessing social and emotional skills and protocols for responding to children with social, emotional, or mental health problems, or a combination of such problems, that impact learning ability. School social workers may implement a continuum of social and emotional education programs and services in accordance with students' needs. Each district must submit this policy to the Illinois State Board of Education by August 31, 2004.

(Source: P.A. 93-495, eff. 8-8-03.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.