Each school district, county office of education, state special school, and charter school that offers one or more courses in health education to pupils in middle school or high school shall include in those courses instruction in mental health that meets the requirements of this article. This section shall not be construed to limit a school district, county office of education, state special school, or charter school in offering or requiring instruction in mental health as specified in this article. This instruction shall include all of the following:
(a) Reasonably designed instruction on the overarching themes and core principles of mental health.
(b) Defining signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges. Depending on pupil age and developmental level, this may include defining conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
(c) Elucidating the evidence-based services and supports that effectively help individuals manage mental health challenges.
(d) Promoting mental health wellness and protective factors, which includes positive development, social and cultural connectedness and supportive relationships, resiliency, problem solving skills, coping skills, self-esteem, and a positive school and home environment in which pupils feel comfortable.
(e) The ability to identify warning signs of common mental health problems in order to promote awareness and early intervention so that pupils know to take action before a situation turns into a crisis. This shall include instruction on both of the following:
(1) How to seek and find assistance from professionals and services within the school district that includes, but is not limited to, school counselors with a pupil personnel services credential, school psychologists, and school social workers, and in the community for themselves or others.
(2) Evidence-based and culturally responsive practices that are proven to help overcome mental health challenges.
(f) The connection and importance of mental health to overall health and academic success and to co-occurring conditions, such as chronic physical conditions, chemical dependence, and substance abuse.
(g) Awareness and appreciation about the prevalence of mental health challenges across all populations, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses, including the impact of race, ethnicity, and culture on the experience and treatment of mental health challenges.
(h) Stigma surrounding mental health challenges and what can be done to overcome stigma, increase awareness, and promote acceptance. This shall include, to the extent possible, classroom presentations of narratives by trained peers and other individuals who have experienced mental health challenges and how they coped with their situations, including how they sought help and acceptance.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 675, Sec. 2. (SB 224) Effective January 1, 2022.)