Code: JGJ
(1) DEFINITIONS.
(a)
Georgia Department of Education
(GaDOE) – the state agency charged with the fiscal and administrative
management of certain aspects of K-12 public education, including the
implementation of federal and state mandates.
Such management is subject to supervision and oversight by the State
Board of Education.
(b)
Local Education Agency (LEA) – local
school system pursuant to local board of education control and management.
(c)
Certificated School System Personnel – individuals trained in education who
hold a Clearance (C), Teaching (T), Leadership (L), Service (S), Technical
Specialist (TS), or Permit (P) certification issued by the Georgia Professional
Standards Commission or is an educator teaching students under a highly
qualified definition.
(2) REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Local education agencies shall adopt a
policy on student suicide prevention. Such policies shall be developed in
consultation with school and community stakeholders, school employed mental
health professionals, and suicide prevention experts and shall, at a minimum,
address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and
postvention.
(b) To assist LEAs in developing their own
policies for student suicide prevention, the Georgia Department of Education
(GaDOE), in consultation with the Suicide Prevention Program within the
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), shall
establish a model policy for use by LEAs in accordance with O.C.G.A. §
20-2-779.1.
(c) All certificated public school personnel
shall receive annual training in suicide awareness and prevention. This training shall be provided within the
framework of existing in-service training programs offered by the Georgia Department
of Education or as part of required professional development offered by an
LEA.
(d) The Georgia Department of Education
shall, in consultation with the DBHDD, the Suicide Prevention Program
established pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 37-1-27, and suicide prevention experts,
develop a list of approved training materials to fulfill the requirements of
this subsection which may include training materials currently being used by an
LEA if such training materials meet any criteria established by the GaDOE.
(e) Approved 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.
(f) Approved materials may include programs
that can be completed through self-review of suitable suicide prevention
materials.
Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-779.1
Adopted:
September 25, 2015 Effective: October 15, 2015