SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian hailed the signing of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act or Republic Act No. 12080, a landmark law that increases learners’ access to mental health services.

The law mandates the development of a School-Based Mental Health Program to promote the mental health and well-being of learners in all public and private schools, including those in the Alternative Learning System.

The School-Based Mental Health Program includes screening, evaluation, assessment, and monitoring; mental health first aid; crisis response and referral system; mental health awareness and literacy; and emotional, developmental, and preventive programs, among other support services.

“On top of experiencing what I call a ‘pandemic’ of mental health, the Philippines is also considered the bullying capital of the world. By ensuring the accessibility of mental health services, we can instill resilience in our learners, prevent suicides, and make our schools safer,” said Gatchalian, principal author and sponsor of the school-based mental health law.

According to Gatchalian, every public school will have a Care Center to provide school-based mental health services. A Care Center will be headed by a School Counselor who must be a Registered Guidance Counselor or a Registered Psychologist.

A Mental Health and Well-being Office will also be established in every Schools Division Office (SDO) to address the mental health and well-being of learners and Department of Education personnel. This office will be headed by a Schools Division Counselor who should also be a Registered Guidance Counselor or Registered Psychologist.

To address the shortage of guidance counselors, the law creates plantilla positions for School Counselor Associates I to V to help deliver school-based mental health services. School Counselor Associates can be graduates of a Bachelor’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling or Psychology; any Bachelor’s Degree with at least 18 units of courses in Guidance and Counseling or Psychology; or any related Bachelor’s Degree with 18 units of Behavioral Science subjects and 200 hours of supervised practicum or internship experience in a school or community setting.