Sending the following to Rep. Bennett this afternoon: Missoula County supports HB 265 - Provide a school suicide prevention competitive grant program, before House Education this afternoon. This legislation will create a competitive grant program, require grantee school districts to adopt and implement a suicide prevention plan and will require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a model suicide prevention plan. This is implementing the recommendations put forth by the State Suicide Mortality Review Team's 2016 report in requiring school districts to provide mental health screening for students ages 12 and older. Missoula County lost eight residents under the age of 20 to suicide within the last two years. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey results over the last ten years show high rates of depression, hopelessness and suicide attempts among Montana middle and high schoolers, and these indicators are staying stable or increasing. These deaths and indicators of suicidal thinking make clear that we need to focus suicide prevention efforts in the schools.
Sending the following to Rep. Bennett this afternoon:
ReplyDeleteMissoula County supports HB 265 - Provide a school suicide prevention competitive grant program, before House Education this afternoon. This legislation will create a competitive grant program, require grantee school districts to adopt and implement a suicide prevention plan and will require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a model suicide prevention plan. This is implementing the recommendations put forth by the State Suicide Mortality Review Team's 2016 report in requiring school districts to provide mental health screening for students ages 12 and older. Missoula County lost eight residents under the age of 20 to suicide within the last two years. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey results over the last ten years show high rates of depression, hopelessness and suicide attempts among Montana middle and high schoolers, and these indicators are staying stable or increasing. These deaths and indicators of suicidal thinking make clear that we need to focus suicide prevention efforts in the schools.