AB 748 Requires School Districts to Post Information Addressing Student Mental Health Resources

07.27.2023

Assembly Bill (“AB”) 748 added Education Code 49428.5. Section 49428.5 requires that no later than the start of the 2023-2024 school year, each school site serving students grade 6 to 12, inclusive, shall create and display a poster that “identifies approaches and shares resources regarding pupil mental health.”

The language used on the post must be age-appropriate and culturally relevant. The poster should be displayed in English and any primary language spoken by 15 percent of more of the student population at the school site. The poster must be at least 8.5 x 11 in size, and be displayed prominently and conspicuously in areas accessible to and frequented by students (e.g., locker room, lunch area, hallway, wellness center, office, classrooms). It should also be digital and on the virtual learning platforms/school website, as well as sent to students (e.g., with the student handbook).

The law sets out the specific requirements for the content of the poster. Specifically, Education Code 49428.5(f) identifies that, at minimum, the poster must include:

(1) Identification of common behaviors of those struggling with mental health or who are in a mental health crisis, including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, emotional dysregulation, bipolar episodes, and schizophrenic episodes.

(2) A list of, and contact information for, schoolsite-specific resources, including, but not limited to, counselors, wellness centers, and peer counselors.

(3) A list of, and contact information for, community resources, including, but not limited to, suicide prevention, substance abuse, child crisis, nonpolice mental health hotlines, public behavioral health services, and community mental health centers.

(4) A list of positive coping strategies to use when dealing with mental health, including, but not limited to, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathing exercises, grounding skills, journaling, acceptance, and seeking therapy.

(5) A list of negative coping strategies to avoid, including, but not limited to, substance abuse or self-medication, violence and abuse, self-harm, compulsivity, dissociation, catastrophizing, and isolating.

The poster can be created by partnering with students, other local agencies such as a local county office of education or a nonprofit organization. For further information regarding the content of this Alert, please contact your AALRR attorney or the authors of this Alert.