SB 619

Abstract

School boards; mental health awareness training. Requires each school board to (i) adopt and implement policies that require each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the school board, employed on a full-time basis, to complete a mental health awareness training or similar program at least once and (ii) provide such training, which may be provided pursuant to a contract with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a community services board, a behavioral health authority, a nonprofit organization, or other certified trainer or via an online module. This bill is identical to HB 74.

Department of Education; local school boards; mental health awareness training. Requires each local school board to adopt and implement policies that require each school board employee deemed to be in need of such training to complete mental health awareness training once every 10 years. The bill requires the Department of Education to make mental health awareness training available to employees in need of such training.

Teacher licensure; mental health first aid.Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulations relatedto teacher licensure to require that every person seeking initial licensure complete a Mental Health First Aid training or similarprogram and every person seeking renewal of a license complete anonline module on mental health developed or approved by the Departmentof Education. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaborationwith the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services,to develop or approve one or more online modules on mental healthby November 30, 2020.