SENATE BILL 172

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald Ortiz y Pino

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION; REQUIRING SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION TRAINING FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION TRAINING FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL PERSONNEL.--

          A. The department shall adopt rules on or before January 1, 2019 requiring public and private school personnel, including teachers, educational assistants, guidance counselors, coaches, principals and other administrators, nurses and social workers, to receive at least one hour of suicide awareness and prevention training each year for elementary school faculty and staff and two hours of suicide awareness and prevention training each year for middle and high school faculty and staff. This training shall be provided within the framework of existing in-service training, including online training and train-the-trainer programs, provided by the department, a school district or a private school.

          B. The department, in consultation with the department of health, a statewide suicide prevention coalition, other stakeholders and suicide prevention experts, shall develop a list of approved training courses and materials to fulfill the requirements of this section. The courses and materials shall include training on how to identify appropriate mental health services both within each school and within the larger community and when and how to refer youth and their families to those services. These courses and materials may include programs or practices that can be completed by independent review of suitable suicide prevention materials by school personnel offered online or approved by the federal substance abuse and mental health services administration, the suicide prevention resource center's best practice registry or other evidence-informed gatekeeper programs approved by the department."

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