BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 2246
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|Author: |O'Donnell |
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|Version: |June 9, 2016 Hearing |
| |Date: June 15, 2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Lenin DelCastillo |
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Subject: Pupil suicide prevention policies
SUMMARY
This bill requires local educational agencies that serve
students in grades 7 to 12 to adopt policies on the prevention
of student suicides and also requires the California Department
of Education (CDE) to develop and maintain a model suicide
prevention policy.
BACKGROUND
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to send a notice to each middle school, junior high
school, and high school that encourages each school to provide
suicide prevention training to each school counselor at least
one time while employed as a counselor, provides information on
the availability of the suicide prevention training curriculum
developed by the CDE, and informs schools about the suicide
prevention training provided by the department and describes how
a school might retain those services.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Makes various findings and declarations regarding student
suicides, as specified.
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2) Requires local educational agencies that serve students in
grades 7 to 12 to adopt, before the beginning of the
2017-18 school year, at a regularly scheduled meeting, a
policy on student suicide prevention for students in those
grades.
3) Requires the policy to be developed in consultation with
school and community stakeholders, school-employed mental
health professionals, and suicide prevention experts.
4) Requires that these policies address, at a minimum,
procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention,
and postvention.
5) Requires that the policies specifically address the needs
of high-risk groups, including:
a) Youth bereaved by suicide.
b) Youth with disabilities, mental illness, or
substance use disorders.
c) Youth experiencing homelessness or in out-of-home
settings, including
foster care.
d) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or
questioning youth.
6) Requires that the policy address any training to be
provided to teachers of students in grades 7 to 12, on
suicide awareness and prevention.
7) Requires that materials approved by a local educational
agency (LEA) for training include how to identify
appropriate mental health services, both at the schoolsite
and also within the larger community, and when and how to
refer youth and their families to those services.
8) Provides that materials approved for training may also
include programs that can be completed through self-review
of suitable suicide prevention materials.
9) Requires the policy to be written to ensure that school
employees act only within the authorization or scope of
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their credential or license. Provides that nothing in this
section shall be construed as authorizing or encouraging
school employees to diagnose or treat mental illness unless
they are specifically licensed and employed to do so.
10) Requires the California Department of Education to assist
LEAs in developing policies for student suicide prevention,
to develop and maintain a model policy to serve as a guide
for LEAs.
11) Defines LEA as a county office of education, school
district, state special school, or charter school.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill. The author's office indicates that
"according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of
death among young people aged 10-24. The CDC also reports
that 17% of high school students have seriously considered
attempting suicide - and 8% had attempted suicide - in the
prior 12 months. Certain students are at higher risk of
suicide, including those with disabilities, with mental
health or substance abuse disorders, in foster care, and
those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or
questioning. Students who are bereaved by suicide are also
at greater risk. School personnel who interact with
students on a daily basis are in a prime position to
recognize warning signs of suicide and make appropriate
referrals for help."
This bill is intended to address youth suicide prevention
by requiring school districts to adopt suicide prevention
policies. These policies would be developed in
consultation with school and community stakeholders and
experts in the field of suicide prevention, and address
the needs of high-risk groups of students.
2) Youth suicide. A national study conducted by the Jason
Foundation found that the number one person a student would
contact to help a friend who might be suicidal was a
teacher. When a young person comes to a teacher for help,
it is vital that she has the knowledge, skills, and
resources to respond appropriately. Additionally,
according to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's
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Health, which compiles and reports data from state agency
sources:
In 2011-13, nearly 20% of California public
school students in grades 9, 11, and nontraditional
classes reported seriously considering attempting
suicide in the past year.
Reported suicidal ideation is higher among
female students and among students from multiracial
and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander backgrounds.
In 2013, 481 California youth ages 5-24 were
known to have committed suicide.
The state's youth suicide rate in 2011-13 was
7.7 per 100,000 youth ages 15-24, slightly higher than
previous years, but substantially lower than the rate
in 1995-97 (9.4 per 100,000).
In 2013, males accounted for almost 80% of
youth suicides in California (354 of 452). Statewide
and nationally, many more male youth (ages 15-24) than
female youth commit suicide.
In 2013, there were 3,322 hospitalizations for
non-fatal self-inflicted injuries among children and
youth ages 5-20 in California.
In 2013, 62% of hospitalizations for
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self-inflicted injuries in California involved youth
ages 16-20.
1) Fiscal impact. According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill would result in Proposition 98/GF
state reimbursable costs, likely in the hundreds of
thousands, for each school district, county office of
education, charter school, and State Special School,
serving students in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to adopt a
policy on suicide prevention. There are approximately
1,600 local educational agencies (LEAs) that would be
required to develop a policy. Actual costs will depend on
how local education agencies choose to implement the
requirements of the bill. There would also be one-time
General Fund administrative costs to the California
Department of Education (CDE) of approximately $46,000 to
develop a model policy on suicide prevention. The
department will collaborate with stakeholders to create and
disseminate the policy and provide technical assistance to
LEAs for adoption.
SUPPORT
Alameda County Office of Education
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies
California Federation of Teachers
California School Employees Association
California State PTA
California Teachers Association
California Youth Empowerment Network
Child Abuse Prevention Center
Disability Rights California
Equality California
GSA Network of California
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Mental Health America in California
National Association of Social Workers - California Chapter
Trevor Project
Letters from individuals
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OPPOSITION
None received.
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