School districts and charter schools are encouraged to provide mental health instruction for students in grades 4 through 12 aligned with local health standards and integrated into existing programs, curriculum, or the general school environment of a district or charter school. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of human services, commissioner of health, and mental health organizations, must, by July 1, 2020, and July 1 of each even-numbered year thereafter, provide districts and charter schools with resources gathered by Minnesota mental health advocates, including:

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(1) age-appropriate model learning activities for grades 4 through 12 that encompass the mental health components of the National Health Education Standards and the benchmarks developed by the department’s quality teaching network in health and best practices in mental health education; and

(2) a directory of resources for planning and implementing age-appropriate mental health curriculum and instruction in grades 4 through 12 that includes resources on suicide and self-harm prevention. A district or charter school providing instruction or presentations on preventing suicide or self-harm must use either the resources provided by the commissioner or other evidence-based instruction.