Nebraska Statutes 79-2,146. Behavioral and mental health training; suicide awareness and prevention training; requirements
(1) Beginning in school year 2023-24, all public school employees who interact with students and any other appropriate personnel, as determined by the school superintendent, shall receive behavioral and mental health training with a focus on suicide awareness and prevention training each year. The length of such training shall be a reasonable amount as determined by each school board. Such training may include, but need not be limited to, topics such as identification of early warning signs and symptoms of behavioral and mental health issues in students, appropriate and effective responses for educators to student behavioral and mental health issues, trauma-informed care, and procedures for making students and parents and guardians aware of services and supports for behavioral and mental health issues. This training shall be provided within the framework of existing inservice training programs offered by the State Department of Education or as part of required professional development activities.
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 79-2,146
- School: means a school under the jurisdiction of a school board authorized by Nebraska Statutes 79-101
- School board: means the governing body of any school district. See Nebraska Statutes 79-101
- State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Year: shall mean calendar year. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
(2) The department, in consultation with organizations including, but not limited to, the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, the Nebraska chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Nebraska, and other organizations and professionals with expertise in behavioral and mental health and suicide prevention, shall develop a list of approved training materials to fulfill the requirements of subsection (1) of this section. Such materials shall include training on how to identify appropriate mental health services, both within the school and also within the larger community, and when and how to refer youth and their families to those services. Such materials may include programs that can be completed through self-review of suitable behavioral and mental health and suicide prevention materials.
(3) The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out this section.