New 'mental health specialist' positions in schools created
By Nidz Godino
"Creation of new positions under the law will pave way to hire and capacitate competent personnel… geared towards promoting and ensuring mental health and well-being of all learners," Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Senate has unanimously approved on final reading bill creates new "mental health specialist" positions in Department of Education to address perennial shortage of guidance counselors in schools.
Senate Bill 2200 or Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, DepEd will have new plantilla positions for "Mental Health Specialists" and "Mental Health Associates" and grant them salary grade higher than guidance counselors and psychologists.
Proposed measure also converts all guidance counselors and psychologist positions to Mental Health Specialists plantilla position along with adjustment of their corresponding salary grades.
In particular, SB 2200 adjusts compensation of existing plantilla positions of Guidance Counselors I to III and Psychologists I to III to Salary Grades 16, 18 and 20, as their positions are converted to Mental Health Specialists I to III.
DepEd's mental health professionals can also be promoted to Mental Health Specialists IV and V with Salary Grades 22 and 24, respectively, "to ensure their career progression," Gatchalian, author measure, said in his sponsorship speech for bill in May.
"By creating more positions, we can guarantee that our learners have access to mental health services they need," he stressed.
Gatchalian previously pointed out that as of July 2022, there were only 1,192 filled positions for both guidance counselors and coordinators within DepEd.
For current school year, at least 26 million students are enrolled in public and private schools, translating to ratio of about one guidance counselor for every 21,667 students.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban said in House hearing in February that "one of the biggest issues" in state of mental health in schools is lack of guidance counselors that can handle total number of students enrolled, he added.
"Ideal ratio (globally) is 1:250…we're stretching it here in the Philippines to 1:500," Galban said.
Guidance counselors are sole mental health professionals tasked with providing students with mental health support under DepEd. However, DepEd has perennially struggled to hire enough guidance counselors in schools due to imposition of stringent requirements , four-year Master's degree paired with entry-level salary of Salary Grade 11.
SG 11 is lowest salary given to first-time employees in government, making guidance counselors one of the lowest paid in school system
One of the "cornerstones" of recently approved measure is establishment of "Care Center" in every public school, Gatchalian added.
In proposed measure, all public schools will have physical facility that will provide students with mental health support and crisis response and referral system, among others.
DepEd data shows around 404 students died by suicide in 2021 while 2,147 attempted it.
Care Centers are also mandated to provide "adequate aftercare support by other appropriate agencies, institutions, organizations, or professionals."
"Centers are further mandated to improve mental health awareness and literacy of teaching and non-teaching personnel," Gatchalian said.
SB 2200 also covers out-of-school children in special cases that include learners with disabilities or conditions, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with law, learners in emergency situations, and other marginalized sectors.
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