Bill to get more therapists in schools by lowering threshold headed to Governor’s office

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A bill meant to bring more therapists into Colorado schools passed unanimously through the State Senate and House is headed to the Governor's desk.

SB23-004, Employment of School Mental Health Professionals, concerns the employment of certain school-based therapists.

The bill takes away the current requirement for therapists to be licensed by the Colorado Department of Education.

"This gives us a chance to behavioral health care providers to our schools. Our kids are in crisis right now, they need mental health services," Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis said, a prime sponsor of the bill.

According to the bill's text, "The bill authorizes a school or a school district, the state charter school institute, a board of cooperative services that operates a school, or the division of youth services to employ certain school-based therapists who are not licensed by the department but hold a Colorado license for their profession to work in coordination with licensed special service providers coordinating mental health supports for students."

Any employed, school-based therapists may be supervised by a mentor special services provider in the field in which the person is employed or a licensed administrator.