Suicide prevention training bill advances in Idaho Senate

idaho-capitol

The Idaho Senate Education Committee has unanimously passed a bill that would require all public school personnel in the state to receive annual suicide awareness and prevention training. 

The measure brought by Genesee Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy directs the State Board of Education to work with the Department of Health and Welfare and suicide experts to develop suicide awareness and prevention training material for local school districts. 

Troy, who serves on the Idaho Suicide Prevention Council, noted that Idaho typically ranks in the Top 10 nationally for per-capita suicide. Between 2012 and 2016, 105 Idaho school kids took their own lives, including 27 younger than age 15. 

The state recently implemented a peer-to-peer suicide awareness and prevention program called Sources of Strength. However, it’s only available in about two dozen school districts. 

The bill directs each public school district to adopt policies to address such issues as suicide prevention, intervention, and counseling. 

The measure, which already passed the House, now heads to the full Senate for consideration. (Spokesman-Review, LMT)

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