Commission advisory committee backs statewide school suicide‑prevention bill and data collection

The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s Legislative and External Affairs Advisory Committee voted to recommend that the full commission sponsor legislation to expand suicide‑prevention training in schools and create a statewide system for de‑identified suicide‑risk screening data.

Deputy Director Kendra Zoller, presenting staff’s recommendation, said the proposal “has 2 main parts, to develop free online suicide prevention training for students, teachers, and parents, and caregivers. And 2, creating a statewide system to collect and analyze school suicide risk screening data.” Zoller told commissioners the proposal aligns with the commission’s earlier reports and the legislative decision‑making framework and identified Behavioral Health Student Services Act (BHSA) administrative dollars as a potential one‑time funding source for development.

Commissioner…