Behavioral Supports Domain

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Behavioral Supports Domain

State Legislation (2020 - 2025)

2024

  • Public Act No. 24-139 
    • SDE, in collaboration with other agencies, is required to develop plans for school-based diversion initiatives and educational deficiencies among children in the juvenile justice system.
  • Public Act No. 24-41 
    • Requires SDE to review and approve proposals for alternate route to certification programs for persons employed as school support staff. 
  • Public Act No. 24-78
    • The requirement that SDE’s Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities verify compliance with certain standards for educator preparation programs and applicants is expanded.
    • Public Act summary

2023

  • Public Act No. 23-101
    • For FY 24, SDE is required to award a grant to a nonprofit organization specializing in identifying and providing services for at-risk teenage students with depression, anxiety, substance abuse struggles, and trauma and conflict-related stresses.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 23-137 
    • SDE must employ a statewide transition services coordinator and assistant coordinator to coordinate transition resources, services, and programs (in consultation with RESCs), and develop a training program on practices for special education and transition services.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 23-167 
    • This act delays the date when SDE is required to administer a grant program for boards of education and youth camp and summer program operators to provide mental health services by one year.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 23-188 
    • By November 1, 2023, the commissioner at SDE, along with others, is required to develop a reentry success plan for youth released from DOC and the Judicial Department’s facilities and programs that incorporates restorative and transformative justice principles.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 23-90 
    • Requires an examination on how state agencies can work collaboratively with school-based efforts and other processes to improve children’s mental health, developmental and behavioral health outcomes.
    • Public Act summary

2022

  • Public Act No. 22-47 
    • Requires regional trauma coordinators employed by the regional educational service centers to develop and implement a trauma-informed care training program.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 22-80 
    • SDE is required to develop and distribute a survey that school districts must annually complete on the number of school social workers, psychologists, counselors, and nurses they employ and to help and support for FY 23 school districts participating in LEAP. This act also requires SDE to administer grants for FYs 23 to 25 to help school districts to hire and retain more school social workers, psychologists, counselors, and nurses.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 22-81 
    • SDE is required to establish a mental health plan for student athletes.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 22-87 
    • SDE is required, by January 1, 2023, and in consultation with DPH, to develop a uniform parental notification policy and form for boards of education to use in administering the CT school health survey to identify victims of sexual misconduct from adults.
    • Public Act summary
  • Public Act No. 22-116 
    • Adds MFTs to the new grant program that SDE must create under PA 22- 80, §§ 4 & 5, to hire and retain more school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors, and nurses.
    • Public Act summary

2021

  • Public Act No. 21-46
    • By December 1, 2021, SDE is required to develop, and annually update, a document for use by local and regional boards of education that provides information on educational, safety, mental health and food insecurity resources and programs available for students and their families. Requires local or regional boards of education to provide training to the members of district and school crisis intervention teams on the physical restraint and seclusion of students.
    • Public Act Summary

State Programs

All State Programs

  • Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (Project AWARE) 
    • A federally funded program that uses trauma informed MTSS to address student mental health needs and violence. 
  • Alternative Education Programs 
    • These programs offer children and students a non-traditional education setting to address social-emotional and academic needs.  
  • Behavioral Health Pilot 
    • The goal is to create scalable and sustainable systems of care for K-12 schools in CT that provide behavioral and mental health supports/services to students and staff.
  • Full Circle Youth Empowerment 
    • A state funded organization that provides an array of programs, services, and supports for youth to strengthen their skill development and increase their overall well-being socially, emotionally, and academically using strengths-based and trauma-informed practices. 

    Learner Engagement Program (LEAP) 

    • Tier 2 intervention that involves home visitors sent to students’ homes to help engage them and their families.
  • MTSS - Absence (Tier 2/3) 
    • To address absenteeism. Tier 2 consists of LEAP grantees (14 districts), LEAP 101 training for districts, high school and kindergarten affinity groups, and high school Bright Spot briefs. Tier 3 consists of district-specific attendance training and cross-divisional team support to opportunity districts. 
  • MTSS - SEL (Tier 2/3) 
    • MTSS consists of a coordinated effort across various divisions in SDE to address academic adjustment and SEL. There are three tiers of support and points of prevention and /or intervention: tier 1 (all students), tier 2 (at-risk), tier 3 (high need).
  • Primary Mental Health Program 
    • To support children's (k-3) adjustment, mental health, and families; addresses trauma through play activities. 
  • School-Based Diversion Initiative 
    • To reduce juvenile justice involvement among youth with mental health needs. Primary districts are identified as those whose students are experiencing disproportionate amounts of juvenile system involvement, suspensions, and expulsions 
  • State Performance- Indicator 4
    • Indicator four is one component of the state’s federally required performance plan focused on suspension/expulsion. A recent aim is to help districts that are struggling to identify de-escalation strategies. 
  • The Connecticut Comprehensive School Counseling Framework 
    • Outlines an early intervention and prevention model that provides evidence-based programs and supports to address student needs. 
  • The Support for Pregnant and Parenting Teen Grant (SPPT) 
    • For the improvement of the psychosocial health and academic outcomes of pregnant/parenting students.  
  • Trauma Informed Practices 
    • This program is relatively new and does not have continuous funding from SDE. Trainer activities work toward training school staff on trauma-informed practices that they can later use with students ("train the trainer"). 

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