Code: JGJ
160-4-8-.19 SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING REQUIREMENT FOR CERTIFICATED SCHOOL SYSTEM PERSONNEL
(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