Section 4Sec./Art. 4

School-Based Mental Health Program; School-Based Mental Health Services. - The implementation of the existing mental health program of the DepEd shall be strengthened through the development of a School-Based Mental Health Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program, to promote and ensure the mental health and well-being of all learners in all public and private basic education schools, including out-of-school children in special cases as defined under Republic Act No. 11510, or the "Alternative Learning System Act", taking into consideration the provisions under Republic Act No. 11650, or the "Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act".

The Program shall promote mental health awareness and manage the mental health concerns of all learners, including the prevention of suicide in schools. The program shall likewise define the role of every stakeholder in the school community to appropriately respond to such mental health concerns through prevention, intervention, postvention, and recovery.

The Program shall be developed in consultation with the learners, their parents, and parent-substitutes, and local government units, and designed to provide school-based mental health services including the following: screening, evaluation, assessment, and monitoring; mental health first aid; crisis response and referral system; mental health awareness and literacy; emotional, developmental, and preventive programs; and other support services such as strengthening the learners' family bonds. The DepEd shall likewise implement complementary measures that promote healthy behaviors, habits, and activities among learners and eliminate the stigma on mental health counseling. Further, it shall provide mental health awareness programs and literacy and appropriate mental health-related referrals to the teaching and non-teaching personnel.

The DepEd shall provide guidelines for the effective delivery of school-based mental health services to private schools, taking into consideration the number of learners and the availability of funds of private schools with limited resources.