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2018 SESSION

18105112D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 138
Offered January 17, 2018
Requesting each school board in the Commonwealth to provide resources or training to all full-time and part-time school board employees on the identification of students who are suicidal. Report.
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Patrons-- Roem (By Request), Carroll Foy, Fariss, Guzman, Hayes, Hope, Kory, Krizek, Lindsey, Lopez, McQuinn, Plum, Rasoul, Simon, Sullivan, Tran, Tyler and Ward; Senator: McPike
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 425 of the Acts of Assembly of 1999, the Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Health, developed Suicide Prevention Guidelines that include (i) criteria to assess the suicide risks of students, (ii) characteristics to identify potentially suicidal students, (iii) appropriate responses to students expressing suicidal intentions, (iv) available and appropriate community services for students expressing suicidal intentions, (v) suicide prevention strategies that may be implemented by local schools for students expressing suicidal intentions, (vi) criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students expressing suicidal intentions, (vii) criteria for as-soon-as-practicable contact with the parents, (viii) appropriate sensitivity to religious beliefs, and (ix) legal requirements and criteria for notification of public service agencies, including, but not limited to, the local or state social services and mental health agencies; and

WHEREAS, such guidelines are an invaluable resource for licensed administrative and instructional school personnel, but the persistent crisis of student suicide necessitates a broader and more comprehensive approach to the identification of students who are suicidal; and

WHEREAS, it is now imperative to provide all full-time and part-time school board employees with resources or training on the identification of students who are suicidal; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That each school board in the Commonwealth be requested to provide resources or training to all full-time and part-time school board employees on the identification of students who are suicidal.

Each local school board shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary and report of its progress in meeting the request of this resolution no later than the first day of the 2019 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary and report shall be submitted for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.