The Senate on Wednesday ratified the final version of the proposed Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, which seeks to increase learners’ access to mental health services.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian sponsored the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of the Senate and House of Representatives’ versions of the bill during the plenary session on Wednesday.
According to Gatchalian, the proposed law will strengthen the Department of Education’s (DepEd) mental health initiative by developing a School-Based Mental Health Program.
The program seeks to promote mental health awareness, address learners’ mental health concerns, and include suicide prevention efforts in schools.
Among the services that the program will include are screening, evaluation, assessment, and monitoring; mental health first aid; crisis response and referral system; mental health awareness and literacy; emotional, development, and preventive programs; and other support services.
The proposed law also mandates the creation of a Mental Health and Well-Being Office in each Schools Division Office. This will be led by a Schools Division Counselor who must be a Registered Guidance Counselor or Registered Psychologist.
According to Gatchalian, every public school will also have a Care Center to provide school-based mental health services.
This will be headed by a school counselor who will be assisted by a school counselor associate.
With this, the positions of School Counselor I to IV, School Counselor Associate I to V, and Schools Division Counselor will be created to fill the shortage of guidance counselors in public schools nationwide. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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