Int. No. 996
By Council Members Stevens, Restler, Brannan, Brewer, Hanif, Cabán and Abreu
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the creation of a peer-to-peer mental health training program
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.26 to read as follows:
§ 17-199.26 Peer-to-peer mental health training program. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Middle and high school. The term “middle and high school” means any school of the city school district that contains any combination of grades from grade 6 through grade 12.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.
b. Program established. 1. No later than 120 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner, in consultation with relevant experts, shall establish a peer-to-peer mental health training program. Such program shall involve:
(a) The training of middle and high school students to identify and assist peers experiencing mental health struggles, including but not limited to training on how to recognize signs of mental distress in others and apply mental health coping skills effectively within peer interactions;
(b) Instruction of middle and high school students in the essential aspects of mental health, including but not limited to the definition of mental health, the importance of mental health to overall human health, how to employ strategies to maintain mental wellbeing, the range of common mental health disorders, how to recognize signs of mental distress in oneself, and mental health coping skills for managing personal mental health challenges; and
(c) Informing middle and high school students of opportunities to seek help in addressing mental health challenges and to access other mental health resources, including such opportunities available through and outside of middle and high schools.
2. The commissioner shall offer such program to middle and high school students.
c. Reporting. 1. No later than 1 year after the effective date of the local law that added this section and annually thereafter, the commissioner, in coordination with the chancellor of the city school district, shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post on the department’s website, a report on the peer-to-peer mental health training program required under subdivision b of this section. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:
(a) An overview of such program, including the scope of topics covered;
(b) The total number of middle and high school students who participated in such program in the previous year;
(c) A table in which each row references each middle and high school student who participated in such program in the previous year, indicated by a unique identification number, and that includes the name of the middle or high school attended by the student and the borough in which the student attended middle or high school at the time of participation in such program set forth in separate columns;
(d) An evaluation of such program’s effectiveness in enhancing middle and high school students’ ability to assist their peers experiencing mental health challenges and their mental health literacy;
(e) A description of any challenges encountered during the implementation of such program; and
(f) Recommendations for the future of such program, including any proposals for expansion or modification based on such program’s outcomes.
2. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this subdivision shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state, or local law relating to the privacy of student information or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement. If a category contains between 1 and 5 students, or contains an amount that would allow another category that contains between 1 and 5 students to be deduced, the number shall be replaced with a symbol. A category that contains zero shall be reported as zero, unless such reporting would violate any applicable provision of federal, state, or local law relating to the privacy of student information. For the purposes of subparagraph (c) of paragraph 1 of this subdivision, if the table contains between 1 and 5 students, the table shall not display any information.
§ 2. Chapter 8 of title 21-a of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-969.1 to read as follows:
§ 21-969.1 Distribution of informational materials on peer-to-peer mental health training program. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Middle and high school. The term "middle and high school" means any school of the city school district that contains any combination of grades from grade 6 through grade 12.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.
b. 1. Each academic year, the department shall distribute to each middle and high school, for distribution to each student of such school, materials containing information on the peer-to-peer mental health training program established by the commissioner of health and mental hygiene pursuant to section 17-199.26.
2. Such materials shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:
(a) An overview of such program, including its purpose and the scope of topics covered;
(b) Details on where middle and high school students can participate in such program and any steps such students need to take in order to participate in such program; and
(c) Contact information for relevant staff at the department of health and mental hygiene who can provide additional information on such program.
3. The department shall post such materials on its website.
4. The department shall make all such materials available in English and in each of the designated citywide languages, as such term is defined in section 23-1101.
§ 3. This local law takes effect immediately.
JL
LS #14109
6/24/2024 10:15 AM