This document addresses professional development incorporating suicide prevention.

(a) All school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the Texas Education Code (TEC), § 21.451(d), to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators as a part of new employee orientation during the 2016-2017 school year.

(b) Each subsequent school year, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the TEC, § 21.451(d), to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators as a part of new employee orientation.

(c) All school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the TEC, § 21.451(d), to all currently employed school district and open-enrollment charter school educators on or by September 30, 2016.

(c-1) Any minimum academic qualifications for a certificate specified under Subsection (a) that require a person to possess a bachelor’s degree must also require that the person receive, as part of the training required to obtain that certificate, instruction regarding mental health, substance abuse, and youth suicide. The instruction required must: (1) be provided through: (A) a program selected from the list of recommended best practice-based programs and research-based practices established under Section 38.351; or (B) a course offered by any accredited public or private postsecondary educational institution as part of a degree program; and (2) include effective strategies, including de-escalation techniques and positive behavioral interventions and supports, for teaching and intervening with students with mental health conditions or who engage in substance abuse.

(f) Continuing education requirements for a counselor must provide that at least 25 percent of training required every five years include instruction regarding: (1) assisting students in developing high school graduation plans; (2) implementing dropout prevention strategies; (3) informing students concerning: (A) college admissions, including college financial aid resources and application procedures; and (B) career opportunities; (4) counseling students concerning mental health conditions and substance abuse, including through the use of grief-informed and trauma-informed interventions and crisis management and suicide prevention strategies; and (5) effective implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program under Section 33.005.

(d) The staff development: (3) must include training on: (A) suicide prevention. […] (d-2) The suicide prevention training required by Subsection (d)(3) may be satisfied through independent review of suicide prevention training material that: (1) complies with the guidelines developed by the agency; and (2) is offered online.

(f) A school district shall include in its multihazard emergency operations plan: (6) provisions for supporting the psychological safety of students, district personnel, and the community during the response and recovery phase following a disaster or emergency situation that: (A) are aligned with best practice-based programs and research-based practices recommended under Section 161.325, Health and Safety Code; (B) include strategies for ensuring any required professional development training for suicide prevention and grief-informed and trauma-informed care is provided to appropriate school personnel; (C) include training on integrating psychological safety and suicide prevention strategies into the district’s plan, such as psychological first aid for schools training, from an approved list of recommended training established by the commissioner and Texas School Safety Center for: (i) members of the district’s school safety and security committee under Section 37.109; (ii) district school counselors and mental health professionals; and (iii) educators and other district personnel as determined by the district; (D) include strategies and procedures for integrating and supporting physical and psychological safety that align with the provisions described by Subdivision (2); and (E) implement trauma-informed policies.

(b) The suicide prevention programs on the list must include components that provide for training counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators, and other staff, as well as law enforcement officers and social workers who regularly interact with students, to:

• (1) recognize students at risk of committing suicide, including students who are or may be the victims of or who engage in bullying;
• (2) recognize students displaying early warning signs and a possible need for early mental health or substance abuse intervention, which warning signs may include declining academic performance, depression, anxiety, isolation, unexplained changes in sleep or eating habits, and destructive behavior toward self and others; and
• (3) intervene effectively with students described by Subdivision (1) or (2) by providing notice and referral to a parent or guardian so appropriate action, such as seeking mental health or substance abuse services, may be taken by a parent or guardian.