{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-24-159","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-24-159","heading":"Protocol for mental health crises","body":"A. Each public school district shall maintain a protocol for\n\nresponding to students in mental health crisis with the goal of\n\npreventing student suicide, self-harm, and harm to others.\n\n1. The protocol shall be developed, maintained, and implemented\n\nin partnership with one or more local mental health treatment\n\nproviders certified by the Department of Mental Health and Substance\n\nAbuse Services. At least one provider partner shall have:\n\na. the ability to serve all school-aged children\n\nregardless of insurance status, and\n\nb. the ability and certification to provide mental health\n\ncrisis services in the region where students attend\n\nschool.\n\n2. Any organization certified by the state as a community\n\nmental health center as defined in Section 3-302 of Title 43A of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes or a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic\n\nshall serve as a school partner if requested by a school district\n\nlocated in its state-designated service area.\n\nB. The protocol for responding to mental health crises shall,\n\nat a minimum:\n\n1. Provide a definition of mental health crisis involving\n\npotential for harm to self or others;\n\n2. Document how mental health crises may be identified by\n\nschool administrators, teachers, support employees, and school-based\n\nmental health professionals;\n\n3. Outline nonpunitive steps to safeguard student health and\n\nsafety in response to an immediate or potential mental health\n\ncrisis;\n\n4. Identify local treatment providers and resources available\n\nto support students and families in mental health crisis and ensure\n\nappropriate referrals to treatment;\n\n5. Outline a process for ensuring parent and caregiver\n\nnotification and involvement during an actual or potential mental\n\nhealth crisis; and\n\n6. Document how student privacy will be protected in compliance\n\nwith applicable state and federal laws.\n\nC. If a student who is under eighteen (18) years of age is\n\nidentified as being in or at risk of a mental health crisis, the\n\nschool shall inform the parent or legal guardian of the student and\n\noffer the treatment referral information contained in the protocol.\n\nParent or legal guardian consent shall be required for any\n\nsubsequent action taken by the school as part of the protocol except\n\nin cases of immediate and life-threatening danger to self or others.\n\nD. All protocols developed by school districts and partner\n\norganizations shall comply with the Health Insurance Portability and\n\nAccountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and Family Educational Rights and\n\nPrivacy Act (FERPA) privacy requirements.\n\nE. School administrators, teachers, support employees, and\n\nschool-based mental health providers shall be provided ready access\n\nto and regular training on the protocol.\n\nF. A working agreement shall be signed by the school district\n\nboard of education and each identified mental health provider\n\npartner outlining all obligations of the parties under the\n\nestablished protocol and a strategy for regularly reviewing its\n\neffectiveness using anonymous, nonidentifiable data.\n\nG. Not less than every two (2) years, the school district and\n\nits mental health provider partners shall jointly review the\n\nprotocol and working agreements and consider any updates necessary\n\nto better meet the needs of students. School districts and mental\n\nhealth provider partners shall include in their review process\n\ninformation gathered from the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment\n\nSurvey or an alternative survey, as provided for in Section 24-158\n\nof Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.\n\nH. Each school district shall submit the latest protocol and\n\nworking agreements to the State Department of Education, which shall\n\nshare the protocols and agreements with the Department of Mental\n\nHealth and Substance Abuse Services. These agencies may require\n\nrevisions to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations,\nthe Oklahoma Statutes.\n\nH. Each school district shall submit the latest protocol and\n\nworking agreements to the State Department of Education, which shall\n\nshare the protocols and agreements with the Department of Mental\n\nHealth and Substance Abuse Services. These agencies may require\n\nrevisions to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations,\n\nand established evidence-based practices.\n\nI. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services\n\nand the State Department of Education shall provide technical\n\nassistance to school districts and their provider partners by:\n\n1. Making available an optional template protocol which\n\nsatisfies the provisions of this section;\n\n2. Making available an optional template working agreement\n\nwhich can be adopted by schools and provider partners;\n\n3. Providing school districts with lists of local public and\n\nprivate treatment providers eligible to serve as partners in the\n\ndevelopment and maintenance of a protocol;\n\n4. Providing information on any available mental health crisis\n\nphone line;\n\n5. Making available information on evidence-based practices for\n\nmeeting the mental health needs of students; and\n\n6. Providing ongoing assistance and consultation as requested\n\nby a school district.\n\nJ. The Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and\n\nthe State Board of Education may promulgate rules as necessary to\n\nensure compliance with this section.\n\nK. Nothing in this section shall be construed to create,\n\nestablish, expand, reduce, contract, or eliminate any civil\n\nliability on the part of any school or school employee.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"22b4571672ba927306bcbce17e3532abad281f2cea13abc72c36ea3d2967b5cc","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-24-158","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-24-160"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}