AR SB656

Requires 2 hours of professional development in teen suicide awareness and prevention for licensed public school personnel, with training components for counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators, school resource officers, social workers, and other school employees.

Training must cover recognizing at-risk students (including bullying victims), identifying early warning signs of substance abuse, effectively intervening by notifying parents/guardians, and assisting students' return to school after mental health treatment.

Mandates all public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools develop written practices and procedures addressing mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention and intervention.

Requires procedures to notify parents/guardians within a reasonable timeframe of early warning signs (declining grades, depression, anxiety, isolation, sleep/eating changes, destructive behavior) and prohibits medical screening without parental consent.

Schools may establish counseling alternatives for parents to consider and designate at least one liaison officer to identify students needing intervention; procedures must be included in student handbooks.