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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate OKs bill institutionalizing school-based mental health program

Senate OKs bill institutionalizing school-based mental health program

Published Sep 11, 2023 08:59 am

The Senate has approved on third and final reading the bill institutionalizing a school-based mental health program.

 

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2200 or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, welcomed the development saying it is a significant step forward in addressing a “pandemic of mental health woes” in the Philippines.

 

The measure primarily seeks to institutionalize the School-Based Mental Health Program to promote and ensure the mental health and well-being of learners in public and private basic education institutions. 

 

The bill covers out-of-school children in special cases that include learners with disabilities or conditions, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, learners in emergency situations, and other marginalized sectors.

 

Under the bill, the Department of Education (DepEd) is mandated to establish and maintain Care Centers in every public basic education institution and ensure their establishment and maintenance in private basic education institutions. 

 

These Care Centers will be tasked to equip students with skills and information for prevention, identification, and proper response and referral for their own and others’ mental health needs.

 

SB 2200 also addresses the need for enough personnel running the School-Based Mental Health Program, as it creates new plantilla positions of Mental Health Associates I to V, and Mental Health Specialists I to V. 

 

The bill also seeks the conversion of existing plantilla positions of Guidance Counselors and Psychologists in the DepEd to Mental Health Specialists.

 

Likewise, it also proposes the conversion of existing plantilla positions of Guidance Counselors and Psychologists in the DepEd to Mental Health Specialists.

 

Gatchalian earlier lamented that there were only 1,192 filled positions for both guidance counselors and coordinators within the DepEd, citing a study as of July 2022.

 

For School Year 2023-2024, the DepEd said that more than 26 million learners are enrolled.

 

The DepEd also admitted that there were 404 learners from public schools who died by suicide for School Year 2021-2022.

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Senate of the Phiippines Sherwin Gatchalian mental health programs
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