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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="7-501" title_number="7" title_name="Public Schools" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Youth Suicide Prevention School Programs">
  <text>The General Assembly finds and declares that:</text>
  <level label="1">
    <text>A statewide Youth Suicide Prevention School Program is essential to address the continuing problem of youth suicide throughout the State;</text>
  </level>
  <level label="2">
    <text>The youth suicide problem often exists in combination with other problems, including drug abuse, alcohol use, and gambling addiction;</text>
  </level>
  <level label="3">
    <text>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;</text>
  </level>
  <level label="4">
    <text>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;</text>
  </level>
  <level label="5">
    <text>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</text>
  </level>
  <level label="6">
    <text>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.</text>
  </level>
</section>
