This document addresses establishing early identification and referral processes to link students

(1) Each educational service district shall develop and maintain the capacity to offer training for educators and other school district staff on youth suicide screening and referral, and on recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students, including but not limited to indicators of possible substance abuse, violence, and youth suicide. An educational service district may demonstrate capacity by employing staff with sufficient expertise to offer the training or by contracting with individuals or organizations to offer the training. Training may be offered on a fee-for-service basis, or at no cost to school districts or educators if funds are appropriated specifically for this purpose or made available through grants or other sources.

(2)(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, Forefront at the University of Washington shall convene a one-day in-person training of student support staff from the educational service districts to deepen the staff’s capacity to assist schools in their districts in responding to concerns about suicide. Educational service districts shall send staff members to the one-day in-person training within existing resources.

• (b) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, after establishing these relationships with the educational service districts, Forefront at the University of Washington must continue to meet with the educational service districts via videoconference on a monthly basis to answer questions that arise for the educational service districts, and to assess the feasibility of collaborating with the educational service districts to develop a multiyear, statewide rollout of a comprehensive school suicide prevention model involving regional trainings, on-site coaching, and cohorts of participating schools in each educational service district.
• (c) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, Forefront at the University of Washington must work to develop public-private partnerships to support the rollout of a comprehensive school suicide prevention model across Washington’s middle and high schools.
• (d) The comprehensive school suicide prevention model must consist of:
• (i) School-specific revisions to safe school plans required under RCW 28A.320.125, to include procedures for suicide prevention, intervention, assessment, referral, reentry, and intervention and recovery after a suicide attempt or death;
• (ii) Developing, within the school, capacity to train staff, teachers, parents, and students in how to recognize and support a student who may be struggling with behavioral health issues;
• (iii) Improved identification such as screening, and response systems such as family counseling, to support students who are at risk;
• (iv) Enhanced community-based linkages of support; and
• (v) School selection of appropriate curricula and programs to enhance student awareness of behavioral health issues to reduce stigma, and to promote resilience and coping skills.

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, each educational service district must establish a regional school safety center as provided in this section.

(2) The regional school safety centers working in collaboration with one another and the state school safety center, established in RCW 28A.300.630, form a statewide network for school safety. The purpose of this statewide network is to provide coordination of school safety efforts throughout the state and to provide school safety resources to the school districts in each educational service district region.

(3) Working in collaboration with the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the statewide network, each regional school safety center must provide to the school districts in its region:

• (a) Behavioral health coordination that, at a minimum, includes:
• (i) Providing support for school district development and implementation of plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students as required by RCW 28A.320.127;

(1) Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, each school district must adopt a plan for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students, including but not limited to indicators of possible substance abuse, violence, youth suicide, and sexual abuse. The school district must annually provide the plan to all district staff.

(2) At a minimum the plan must address: (a) Identification of training opportunities in recognition, screening, and referral that may be available for staff;

• (b) How to use the expertise of district staff who have been trained in recognition, screening, and referral;
• (c) How staff should respond to suspicions, concerns, or warning signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students;
• (d) Identification and development of partnerships with 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 district and such an entity in the community or region;
• (e) Protocols and procedures for communication with parents and guardians, including the notification requirements under RCW 28A.320.160;
• (f) How staff should respond to a crisis situation where a student is in imminent danger to himself or herself or others;
• (g) How the district will provide support to students and staff after an incident of violence, youth suicide, or allegations of sexual abuse;
• (h) How staff should respond when allegations of sexual contact or abuse are made against a staff member, a volunteer, or a parent, guardian, or family member of the student, including how staff should interact with parents, law enforcement, and child protective services; and
• (i) How the district will provide to certificated and classified staff the training on the obligation to report physical abuse or sexual misconduct required under RCW 28A.400.317.

(3) The plan under this section may be a separate plan or a component of another district plan or policy, such as the harassment, intimidation, and bullying prevention policy under RCW 28A.300.2851 or the comprehensive safe school plan required under RCW 28A.32

The school counselor works with developing and leading a comprehensive guidance and counseling program to focus on the academic, career, personal, and social needs of all students. School psychologists carry out special education evaluation duties, among other things. School social workers promote and support students’ health, academic, and social success with counseling and support, and by providing and coordinating specialized services and resources. All of these professionals are also involved in multitiered systems of support for academic and behavioral skills. These professionals focus on student mental health, work with at-risk and marginalized students, perform risk assessments, and collaborate with mental health professionals to promote student achievement and create a safe learning environment. In order that school counselors, social workers, and psychologists have the time available to prioritize these functions, in addition to other activities requiring direct student contact, responsibilities such as data input and data tracking should be handled by nonlicensed, noncertified staff, where possible.

(1) Within existing resources, beginning in the 2019-20 school year, first - class school districts must provide a minimum of six hours of professional collaboration per year, preferably in person, for school counselors, social workers, and psychologists that focuses on the following: Recognizing signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students, including but not limited to indicators of possible substance abuse, violence, and youth suicide, screening, accessing current resources, and making appropriate referrals. Teachers may also participate in this professional collaboration, as deemed appropriate and allowed by their building administrators. School districts that have mental health centers in their area shall collaborate with local licensed mental health service providers under chapter 71.24 RCW. Those districts without a mental health center in their area shall collaborate via telephone or other remote means that allow for dialogue and discussion. By collaborating with local providers in this manner, educational staff associates get to collaborate in short but regular segments, in their own schools or near school district facilities, and school districts are not put in a position that they must obtain substitutes or otherwise expend additional funds. This local connection will also help foster a connection between school personnel and the mental health professionals in the community to whom school personnel may make referrals, in line with the legislative intent expressed throughout Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 1336, chapter 197, Laws of 2013, to form partnerships with qualified health, mental health, and social services agencies in the community to coordinate and improve support for youth in need and the directive to the department of social and health services with respect to the provision of funds for mental health first-aid training targeted at teachers and educational staff.

(2) Second-class districts are encouraged, but not required, to collaborate and provide the professional collaboration as provided in subsection (1) of this section.

This document addresses establishing early identification and referral processes to link students

This document addresses establishing early identification and referral processes to link students