HB 18-1177: Youth Suicide Prevention

• Office of Suicide Prevention must contract with a Colorado-based nonprofit organization to provide evidence-based suicide prevention training in English and Spanish at no charge to the public for people who work with youth (camp counselors, recreation center employees, youth group leaders, clergy, athletic coaches, caregivers, and parents), with the department reimbursing direct and indirect costs.

• Department of Public Health and Environment must coordinate a statewide awareness campaign about youth suicide prevention and the suicide prevention hotline using written, electronic, radio, and television media.

• Lowers the age of consent for minors to seek outpatient psychotherapy services from 15 years to 12 years of age without parental consent; the minor's consent cannot be disaffirmed due to minority status.

• Licensed mental health professionals providing outpatient psychotherapy to minors ages 12-14 are immune from civil or criminal liability unless they act negligently or outside their scope of practice; professionals may (but are not required to) notify parents with the minor's consent.

• Appropriates $375,000 to the Department of Human Services for the behavioral health crisis response hotline and $97,838 to the Department of Public Health and Environment for suicide prevention programs for fiscal year 2018-19.