Committee hears support for advisory council to coordinate school safety, mental‑health responses
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Summary
SB658 would create a voluntary Safe and Resilient Schools advisory council to develop guidance on early identification, neurodivergent supports, coordinated crisis response and training; advocates, clinicians and NAMI urged passage to reduce isolation and improve outcomes.
Sen. David Waters introduced Senate Bill 658 to authorize the Department of Education to establish a Statewide Advisory Council on Safe and Resilient Schools, a voluntary body charged with developing best practices for early identification, prevention and coordinated responses to student mental‑health crises and behavioral issues.
"We can build on the success that many groups and others have undertaken to look at these issues," Waters said, describing plans for a multi‑stakeholder council that includes education, health and law‑enforcement partners and aims to deliver initial findings by Nov. 1, 2026.
Clinicians and advocates told the committee the council is needed to reduce fragmentation and improve early intervention. Amy Rich Crane, a pediatric occupational therapist and suicide‑prevention trainer, cited state Youth Risk Behavior Survey findings and national evidence to underline risks: "In New Hampshire, we know that 1 in 5 high school students report seriously considering suicide," she said, and stressed that autistic youth face substantially higher rates of suicidal ideation. Crane argued the council should promote shared language around observable behaviors, tiered response frameworks and clearer communication channels so schools and community partners can act before crises escalate.
First‑person testimony and organizational support followed. Ashley Moore Hadley recounted surviving the Sandy Hook shooting and called for sustained, trauma‑informed services rather than short‑term responses. Sam Hawkins of NAMI New Hampshire encouraged lawmakers to pass SB658 and offered his group’s collaboration as a named participant on the council.
Senators questioned membership, quorum language and whether the commissioner should be explicitly allowed to designate a designee as chair; the sponsor indicated technical edits were available. The bill also establishes a fund for voluntary pilot grants and requires regular reporting and fiscal review if grants are accepted.
Committee members closed the SB658 hearing after public testimony; the transcript shows widespread advocacy for the council’s preventive, cross‑system approach but does not record a committee vote on final passage in the public portion of the hearing.
