CO HB1416

Creates a student suicide prevention grant program in the Department of Public Health and Environment to provide $5,000-$10,000 grants to school districts and public schools for developing and implementing suicide prevention policies and training programs.

Requires grant-funded policies to include evidence-based suicide prevention training for all school staff covering identification of at-risk individuals and referral practices, student training in protective factors, and parent education about suicide prevention.

Establishes that grant applications must include community suicide rate data for the preceding 12 months, accounting of other available resources, and descriptions of proposed prevention policies; grants awarded based on suicide rates, ratio of health professionals to students, and available community resources.

Requires grant recipients to submit reports on grant use to the Department within six months of grant expiration, and mandates the Department submit annual reports to the Legislature detailing grant awards, recipient data, policies developed, and personnel trained.

Appropriates $400,000 from the School Safety Resource Center Cash Fund for the 2018-19 fiscal year to implement the grant program and directs the Department to post evidence-based best practices on its website by November 1, 2018.