Committee advances bill to expand mental‑health literacy and peer‑support in schools and youth programs

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to advance H817 (version 3.1), a bill aimed at expanding mental‑health literacy and authorizing peer‑to‑peer support programs in schools, after‑school programs and youth mentoring agencies.

Katie, who presented the bill, described the revisions as an expansion beyond school buildings: “This is the bill on mental‑health literacy and also peer support initiatives,” she said, adding that the draft broadens peer support to after‑school programs and youth mentoring agencies and adds an explicit role for the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to define supervision qualifications and written guidance.

The bill requires DMH oversight of any school, after‑school program, or youth mentoring agency seeking to establish peer‑to‑peer programs and directs DMH to define and disseminate best practices in writing. Katie told the committee the guidance language was limited to the subsection governing peer‑to‑peer supports and that aggregated reporting will track how many schools and programs request and receive department support.

Committee members pressed for clarity about funding eligibility and supervision. One member asked whether grants under the literacy program would be limited to public schools; Katie said the literacy training grant program is for public schools, while the peer‑to‑peer subsection is available to any eligible school or after‑school or youth mentoring program. Members also asked whether supervising adults must be licensed; legislators heard that the bill requires a supervisor over 18 and that DMH will define specific qualifications. A committee member noted differing models have been tested statewide and that DMH recommended allowing age‑appropriate, locally tailored approaches.

The committee discussed parental notification and local control over adoption of programs. The chair emphasized local discretion: “Each school locally gets to decide whether or not to do this and how to do it,” and added that parents should be able to know if a child is in danger and that the local community can set notification practices.

Several witnesses and written testimonies — including students from Winooski and advocacy from AFSP — were cited as influential in shaping the draft. After debate and clarifications, the chair entertained a motion and the committee proceeded to a roll call vote, passing H817 (version 3.1). The committee designated a reporter for the bill and moved it forward.

The committee’s action sends H817 on for further processing according to legislative procedures; the bill includes spelled‑out DMH responsibilities, reporting language, and flexibility for local implementation by schools and youth programs.