D. Teachers, school counselors, principals and certain other school administrators in public elementary and secondary schools shall receive two hours of annual in-service training in suicide prevention. The training shall address the following:

1. increasing awareness of risk factors, including, but not limited to the following: a. mental health and substance abuse conditions; b. childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma; c. potential causes of stress, such as bullying, harassment, and relationship problems; d. secondary trauma from a suicide or sensationalized or graphic accounts of suicide in media; and e. history of suicide attempts and related family history;
2. responding to suspicious behavior or warning signs exhibited by students;
3. responding to crisis situations in which a student is an imminent danger to himself;
4. policies and protocol for communication with parents, including specifications for circumstances in which parental notification is not in the best interest of the student;
5. counseling services available within the school for students and their families related to suicide prevention;
6. information concerning crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and mental health services in the community for students and their families and school employees;
7. community organizations and agencies for referral of students to health, mental health, substance abuse, and social support services, including development of at least one memorandum of understanding between the school system and such an entity in the community or region.

A. (1)  The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Louisiana Juvenile Justice Planning and Coordination Board, shall formulate, develop, and recommend to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission by March 1, 2004, a model master plan for improving behavior and discipline within schools.

(2)  The model master plan may include but need not be limited to guidelines for accomplishing the following:

• (a)  Improving communication, coordination, and collaboration between the schools and juvenile justice agencies.

• (b)  Improving safe school planning.

• (c)  Revising school zero tolerance policies to ensure compliance with all applicable provisions of law to ensure that schools do not make inappropriate referrals to juvenile justice agencies.

• (d)  Providing improved mental health services in or through the schools.

• (e)  Providing better assistance to parents in knowing about and accessing family strengthening programs.

• (f)  Improving the coordination of special education and juvenile justice services.

• (g)  Improving classroom management using positive behavioral supports and other effective disciplinary tools.

• (h)  Improving methods and procedures for the handling of school suspensions, the referral of students to alternative schools, and the use of seclusion and physical restraint in addressing challenging student behavior.

• (i)  Providing for better and more useful reporting on an annual basis of school behavioral and disciplinary problems.

A. The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school is authorized and encouraged to partner with individuals, community and faith-based groups and organizations, and nonprofit and for-profit entities to design and implement programs to increase parental involvement in children’s education and schools.

C. (1) A youth development and assistance program may consist of age- or grade-appropriate alternative classrooms during school or special intervention or prevention programs before, after, or during the school day. (2) Such programs may include but shall not be limited to the following components: (a) Provision of services for students including behavioral training and intervention techniques that promote cooperation and enhance interpersonal and conflict resolution skills, peer mediation, anger management, bullying prevention, life skills training, mentoring, counseling, and tutoring programs that improve academic achievement. (b) (i) Provision of services which support the parents of students identified with behavioral needs that may need intervention or support. Such parent services may include literacy services or parental training. (ii) Required participation of any parent of a student so identified in such intervention at the school or other designated facility. (c) Collaboration with community-based organizations, including but not limited to youth services, civic, social services, mental health, volunteer services, and juvenile justice agencies.

B. (1) The board shall adopt rules to require that all public and approved nonpublic school teachers, school counselors, and principals and, as determined by the board, other school administrators for whom such training is deemed beneficial participate annually in at least two hours of in-service training in suicide prevention. Such rules shall include provisions permitting such training to be provided by self-review of suitable materials. (2) The training shall address the following: (a) Increasing awareness of risk factors including but not limited to the following: (i) Mental health and substance abuse conditions. (ii) Childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma. (iii) Potential causes of stress, such as bullying, harassment, and relationship problems. (iv) Secondary trauma from a suicide or sensationalized or graphic accounts of suicide in media. (v) History of suicide attempts and related family history. (b) How teachers should respond to suspicious behavior or warning signs exhibited by students. (c) How teachers should respond to a crisis situation in which a student is an imminent danger to himself. (d) Policies and protocol for communication with parents, including specifications for circumstances in which parental notification is not in the best interest of the student. (e) Counseling services available within the school for students and their families related to suicide prevention. (f) Dissemination of information concerning crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and mental health services in the community for students and their families and school employees. (g) Community organizations and agencies for referral of students to health, mental health, substance abuse, and social support services, including development of at least one memorandum of understanding between the school system and such an entity in the community or region.