Legislative Analysis
Phone: (517) 373-8080
STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH APPRENTICESHIP
http://www.house.mi.gov/hfa
RETENTION AND TRAINING (SMART) INTERNSHIP
GRANT PROGRAM Analysis available at
http://www.legislature.mi.gov
House Bill 6020 (H-1) as reported from committee
Sponsor: Rep. Bronna Kahle
Committee: Health Policy
Complete to 6-8-22
BRIEF SUMMARY: House Bill 6020 would create a new act to establish a student mental health
apprenticeship retention and training (SMART) internship grant program to be administered
by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). Grants under the program would be
available to certain individuals enrolled in graduate-level mental health professional programs
who are interning in public schools while working toward obtaining specified school
psychologist, school counselor, or social worker certifications, licenses, credentials, or
endorsements. The internship would have to be in a discipline designated a critical shortage
for the prior year or at a public school that meets specified criteria. Grants also would be
available for professionals who supervise those interns. MDE would have to promulgate rules
to implement the new act.
FISCAL IMPACT: The bill would not result in a direct fiscal impact to school districts, intermediate
school districts (ISDs), or public school academies (PSAs, or charter schools). (See Fiscal
Information, below, for a detailed discussion.)
THE APPARENT PROBLEM:
Before the pandemic, behavioral health providers were seeing an uptick in mental health issues
and suicide ideation in teens and pre-pubertal children. Now the situation is worse. Whether
driven by bullying, isolation, homelessness, trauma, violence in the home, loss of family
members to COVID or other factors, or economic hardship experienced by the family, suicide
and self-injury incidents in the first three quarters of 2021 in the US were 47% higher among
5-8 year olds and an astounding 182% higher among 9-12 year olds than were reported during
the same time period in 2016 according to statistics compiled by the Children’s Hospital
Association.1 There has been a nationwide shortage of behavioral health professionals who
treat children, and so school social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists can
play an important role in providing early assistance to students struggling with mental,
emotional, or behavioral health issues. However, there also is a shortage of these school
behavioral health professionals. It has been suggested that Michigan establish an
apprenticeship program whereby graduate-level students studying social work, counseling, and
psychology could receive pay while training under licensed and certified professionals in
public schools, in addition to or in conjunction with current field placement requirements. Such
a program could not only enhance the educational experience of the graduate student, it could
also attract and retain more professionals who attain certification as a school social worker,
school counselor, or school psychologist.
1
“More young children are killing themselves: The COVID-19 pandemic is making the problem worse,” USA
Today, Dec. 8, 2021.
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THE CONTENT OF THE BILL:
House Bill 6020 would require MDE to create and administer a SMART internship grant
program to provide grants to designated recipients and field supervisors, field instructors, and
supervisors as described below. MDE would have to administer grant funding through the
program in an amount per eligible designated recipient that is equal to either of the following:
• $25 for each hour spent in an intern capacity for up to 20 hours per week of an
internship in a public school that occurs over a 30-week period in a school year.
• A lump-sum amount equal to $15,000 for up to 20 hours per week of an internship in
a public school that occurs over a 30-week period in a school year. (The lump-sum
amount would be paid at the end of the 30-week period.)
Designated recipient would mean an individual who is enrolled in a graduate-level
mental health professional program described below, is in good standing as determined
by the program, and is working toward obtaining any of the following:
• A preliminary school psychologist certificate issued by MDE under R 380.204
of the Michigan Administrative Code.2
• A preliminary school psychologist certificate issued by MDE under R 380.205
of the Michigan Administrative Code.*
• A school psychologist certificate issued by MDE under R 380.206 of the
Michigan Administrative Code.*
• A preliminary school counselor credential issued by MDE under R 390.1304
of the Michigan Administrative Code.3
• A school counselor license issued by MDE under R 390.1305 of the Michigan
Administrative Code.†
• A school counseling endorsement issued by MDE on the individual’s teaching
certificate.
• Temporary or full school social worker approval issued by MDE under
R 340.1012 of the Michigan Administrative Code.4
An eligible graduate-level mental health professional program would include an
MDE-approved school counselor education or preparation program, school social
worker education or preparation program, or school psychology education or
preparation program that offers designations, a focus, or special certifications in the
provision of school mental health services. The program could be maintained by an
institution of higher education located in or outside of Michigan.
Eligible designated recipient would mean a designated recipient who meets both of
the following (one condition from the first group and one or more from the second):
• Either of the following:
o The individual is in the first year of an internship period required by
the program they are enrolled in and is serving as a substitute teacher
or in a paraprofessional role in a public school as described above or is
2
See https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/mde/educator_services/rules/sch_psych_cert_code.pdf
3
See https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/mde/educator_services/rules/sch_couns_cert_code.pdf
4
See https://www.michigan.gov/-
/media/Project/Websites/mde/educator_services/rules/sch_social_worker_cert_code.pdf
House Fiscal Agency HB 6020 (H-1) as reported Page 2 of 7
 in a supervised role in a public school and following best-practice
training and supervision requirements as indicated by national
standards set forth by appropriate national professional organizations.
o The individual is in the second year of an internship period required by
the program they are enrolled in and is in a supervised role in a public
school as described above and following best-practice training and
supervision requirements as indicated by national standards set forth
by appropriate national professional organizations.
• At least one of the following:
o The individual is interning in a discipline that has been designated by
the superintendent of public instruction as critical shortage for the
immediately preceding school fiscal year under the Public School
Employees Retirement Act.
o The individual is interning in a public school where at least 50% of
pupils enrolled are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the
federal Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.5
o The individual is interning in a public school that received funding
under section 22d of the School Aid Act in the immediately preceding
school fiscal year.6
Supervised role would mean a role in which the individual is supervised by a field
supervisor, field instructor, or supervisor.
Field supervisor, field instructor, or supervisor would mean an individual who
supervises an eligible designated recipient. A field supervisor, field instructor, or
supervisor would be required to do the following, as applicable:
• Maintain a school psychologist certificate during the supervision of a
designated recipient working toward obtaining a school psychologist certificate
or preliminary school psychologist certificate.
• Maintain full school social worker approval during the supervision of a
designated recipient working toward obtaining temporary or full school social
worker approval.
• Maintain a school counselor license or school counselor teaching certificate
endorsement or be a school counselor educator in an MDE-approved school
counselor preparation program during the supervision of a designated recipient
working toward obtaining a school counselor license, preliminary school
counselor credential, or school counselor teaching certificate endorsement.
5
See https://www.michigan.gov/mde/-/media/Project/Websites/mde/Year/2021/08/23/Determining_F-
R_Eligibility_SY_21-22_FAQ.pdf
Also https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf
6
Funding is available under that section for school districts with fewer than 10 pupils per square mile; for school
districts that are greater than 250 square miles; or for school districts with fewer than 250 students if each school
building operated by the district is either located in the Upper Peninsula at least 30 miles from any other school
building or located on an island that is not accessible by a bridge. http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-388-1622d
House Fiscal Agency HB 6020 (H-1) as reported Page 3 of 7
 Grant funds would have to be paid as follows to designated recipients, pursuant to an agreement
between the recipient, the public school where the recipient is interning, and the program the
recipient is enrolled in:
• On the same pay period or schedule offered to other educational professionals at the
public school where the recipient is interning.
• Through one lump-sum payment on the date the recipient's qualifying internship ends.
MDE would have to administer grant funding to designated recipients through agreements that
include a requirement that a designated recipient who receives funding through the program
must work at a public school for at least three school years as of the date of the agreement.
Debt or expense repayment
For extenuating circumstances, MDE could make a debt or expense repayment to a
designated recipient before or during each year of qualifying service.
Extenuating circumstance would mean a circumstance determined by MDE in
consultation with the recipient affected by the circumstance.
Debt or expenses repayment would mean debt or expenses connected to a recipient's
student loans.
Evaluations
A state university with a graduate-level mental health professional program that a designated
recipient is enrolled in could continue to implement any existing evaluation processes required
as part of certification, licensing, or approval requirements associated with serving as a school
mental health professional. The results from such an evaluation could be used as a reason for
a recipient’s disqualification for grant funding under the act. A designated recipient receiving
a grant under the act would have to submit to MDE any evaluations the recipient receives as
described above and any evaluations received from the public school where the recipient is
interning. Upon receiving an evaluation, MDE would have to determine whether the recipient
is still eligible to receive grant funding and notify the recipient of its determination.
Temporary or permanent failure to qualify
Payments of $25 per hour to a recipient would have to stop on the date the recipient
permanently ceased to satisfy eligibility requirements for funding under the act. If such an
individual temporarily ceased to satisfy those requirements due to a leave of absence or a
relocation to intern in another public school, payments would have to stop while the
requirements were not met, but could be continued when they were met again. However,
payments could not be continued beyond 30 weeks from the date the individual started the
internship at the public school.
If a recipient of the $15,000 lump sum permanently ceased to satisfy eligibility requirements,
the recipient could receive an amount of the lump sum prorated to reflect the number of hours
the recipient interned at the public school while meeting the requirements. If such a recipient
temporarily ceased to satisfy those requirements due to a leave of absence or a relocation to
intern in another public school, the recipient would still be eligible to receive the full amount
of the lump sum as long as the recipient completed all of the requirements for qualifying for
funding under the act.
House Fiscal Agency HB 6020 (H-1) as reported Page 4 of 7
 Other provisions
A designated recipient who receives a grant under the act would not be prohibited from
applying for another grant as long as the recipient meets the qualifications for grant funding.
MDE would have to administer grant funding through the program to field supervisors, field
instructors, or supervisors. Those grants could not exceed $250 for each designated recipient
supervised.
MDE would have to report the status and outcomes of the grant program to the governor, the
House and Senate appropriations subcommittees on the MDE budget, the House and Senate
Fiscal Agencies, and the advisory council maintained by MDE and the Department of Health
and Human Services under section 31n of the School Aid Act.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The bill is identical to Senate Bill 1012 as passed by the Senate.
FISCAL INFORMATION:
By itself, House Bill 6020 would have no direct fiscal impact on the state or local school
districts, ISDs, or PSAs. While the bill creates the statutory framework for the SMART
Internship Grant Program, funding for the program would be subject to annual legislative
appropriations.
Assuming the program is funded, MDE would incur costs to administer the SMART Internship
Grant Program. MDE estimates that administrative costs would equal up to $300,000 annually
and require two additional full-time equated (FTE) positions. Additionally, MDE notes it
would need $150,000 and one additional FTE for auditing program procedures and recipients.
(NOTE: House Bill 5795 (H-4) as passed by the House includes $20.0 million Federal for the
SMART Internship Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2022-23.)
ARGUMENTS:
For:
Michigan has long had a shortage of children’s mental health professionals. For instance, there
is only one practicing child psychiatrist to serve the entire Upper Peninsula. Even before the
COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many parents found it difficult if not impossible to
access services for their children. The situation has been even worse in rural areas in the state.
The connection between this situation and the bill lies in the fact that most of these children
attend public school. However, the ability of a child to focus and learn, or engage in healthy
interactions with other students, is greatly diminished if struggling with anxiety or facing abuse
in the home or bullying at school. A teacher who has a student on the autism spectrum may
find it difficult to teach, or fellow students find it difficult to learn, if that child is biting,
kicking, or hitting other students, running out of the classroom, or screaming. But just as there
is a shortage of child psychiatrists and child behavioral health providers, there is also a shortage
of school social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists. The student-to-
counselor ratio in Michigan schools currently far exceeds recommended standards, with these
school-based professionals handling three to five times the number of cases recommended.
House Fiscal Agency HB 6020 (H-1) as reported Page 5 of 7
 To help allevi