The General Assembly finds and declares that:
A statewide Youth Suicide Prevention School Program is essential to address the continuing problem of youth suicide throughout the State;
The youth suicide problem often exists in combination with other problems, including drug abuse, alcohol use, and gambling addiction;
A suicide prevention program for young people should promote recognizing student behavioral health issues, recognizing students experiencing trauma or violence out of school, and referring students to behavioral health services;
A suicide prevention program for young people must emphasize a partnership between educational programs at the State and local levels and community suicide prevention and crisis center agencies;
It is of vital importance that a statewide Youth Suicide Prevention School Program be established with shared responsibility at both the State and county levels, and that this cooperation shall be a major tool in efforts to achieve the successful prevention of youth suicide; and
County suicide prevention and crisis center agencies along with local education agencies are best suited for developing and implementing programs for statewide youth suicide prevention.
In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
“Program” means a Youth Suicide Prevention School Program established under this subtitle.
“Youth service bureau” means a program defined under § 9–233 of the Human Services Article.
There is a statewide Youth Suicide Prevention School Program administered by the Department in cooperation with:
Participating local education agencies;
Local community agencies involved in suicide prevention;
Local community mental health programs; and
Youth service bureaus.
On or before October 1, 1986, the Department may establish a demonstration Youth Suicide Prevention School Program in cooperation with local education agencies in the following political subdivisions:
Anne Arundel County;
Baltimore City;
Baltimore County;
Harford County;
Howard County; and
Montgomery County.
Any political subdivision in the State may apply for assistance or grant funds under this subtitle to establish a local Youth Suicide Prevention School Program.
The Department shall adopt regulations that set eligibility guidelines for State funding of Youth Suicide Prevention School Programs under this subtitle.
The regulations shall:
Establish procedures for developing local programs, in cooperation with local education agencies, youth service bureaus, and community mental health centers; and
Establish standards and policies for programs to offer:
Individual, family, and group counseling related to youth suicide prevention;
Referral, crisis intervention, and information for students, parents, and school personnel; and
Training for school personnel, and others responsible for counseling or supervising student activities.
A Youth Suicide Prevention School Program established under this subtitle shall plan, fund, and implement educational programs, which may include any of the following:
Classroom instruction designed to achieve any of the following objectives:
Encourage sound decision making and promote ethical development;
Increase pupils’ awareness of the relationship between drug and alcohol use, gambling, and youth suicide;
Teach pupils to recognize signs of suicidal tendencies, and other facts about youth suicide;
Inform pupils of available community youth suicide prevention services;
Enhance school climate and relationships between teachers, counselors, and pupils; and
Further cooperative efforts of school personnel and community youth suicide prevention program personnel;
School or community based alternative programs outside of the classroom, including:
Positive peer group programs;
A 24–hour “hotline” telephone service, staffed by trained professional counselors;
Programs to collect data on youth suicide attempts;
Intervention and follow–up;
Mental health programs to promote mental health awareness and encourage pupils to seek help as soon as it is needed; and
Parent education and training programs; and
Teacher training programs.
Any program established under this subtitle shall:
Assist in increasing the awareness, among school personnel and community leaders, of the incidence of teenage suicide;
Train school personnel in individual and schoolwide strategies for teenage suicide prevention;
Develop and implement school–based teenage suicide prevention programs and pilot projects;
Develop and implement school–based pilot mental health programs and peer–to–peer support to address the needs of students suffering from mental illness; and
Through cooperative efforts, utilize community resources in the development and implementation of teenage suicide prevention programs under this subtitle.
The Department may assist local school systems in implementing pilot peer–to–peer mental health awareness programs.
The Department shall:
As to each program receiving State funding:
Monitor its operations; and
Evaluate annually its effectiveness; and
Review and either approve or disapprove the application for State funding of a proposal program.
The funding of an eligible program shall be a shared responsibility of this State and local education agencies.
Each eligible program shall submit to the Department a proposed annual budget for review and approval, at the times that the Department specifies.
The proposed budget of the Department shall list the eligible programs and estimate the amount of State funds to be allocated to each.
The Department shall seek federal funds for Youth Suicide Prevention School Programs under the Garret Lee Smith Memorial Act.
The State funds designated for Youth Suicide Prevention School Programs may be included in the budgets of:
The Department; and
The Maryland Department of Health.
The local education agency and the local health department shall identify funds from public and private agencies for development and implementation of the Program.
The Governor shall include funds in the budget to carry out the provisions of this subtitle.