Mary: My son has received ERMHS after school for over 4 years. District says policy is and always has been services are only during school hours. Asking for written Policies & Procedures showing this. Getting the run around. Am I allowed to view NPA contract signed by district to see if that’s in there?
Mary, I have run into this issue a lot with my own son and while assisting other families. I have found the easiest way to request policy information when the district will not provide it is by submitting a Freedom of Information Act Request. There are numerous templates online to help you draft one. I have found when the district will not provide the policy requested it is usually an informal policy/process (not written anywhere ie. it is just what they “always have done”) that they could change if they wanted.
Mary, I was not familiar with the term “ERMHS” so googled it. Apparently, it’s an acronym for “Educationally Related Mental Health Services” provided by schools in California. In 2012, the law about providing provide mental health services changed. There has been confusion about how to implement the new law.
You need to read “Myths about Educationally Related Mental Health Services” published the Disability Rights of CA. The publication includes tips you can use to handle different situations or problems related to ERMHS.
http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/550701.pdf