| Summary |
The bill creates the behavioral health first aid training program
(training program) in the office of suicide prevention (office) in the
department of public health and environment. The purpose of the training
program is to:
•
Improve overall community climate and promote adult,
teen, and youth behavioral health, mental health, and
mental well-being;
•
Train educators and school staff; employees of
community-based, youth-based, or nonprofit organizations;
employees of organizations that serve underserved
populations; faith-based community members; law
enforcement officers; first responders; and active duty or
retired military personnel (candidates) to recognize the
warning signs and symptoms of mental illness and
substance use among adults, teens, and youth;
•
Train candidates on how to respond to an adult, teen, or
youth who is experiencing mental health or substance use
challenges;
•
Train candidates on crisis intervention strategies and best
practices;
•
Prepare candidates to teach adults and teens how to
recognize warning signs and symptoms of mental health or
substance use challenges;
•
Prepare candidates to teach teens how to find a responsible
and trusted adult for assistance when a peer is struggling
with mental health or substance use challenges; and
•
Prepare candidates to teach adults how to respond to a teen
or youth struggling with a mental health or substance use
challenge or crisis.
The office is required to contract with a Colorado-based nonprofit
organization (third-party entity) to offer and administer the training
program to organizations that apply to participate and are accepted in the
training program that include, but are not limited to, school districts,
district charter schools, institute charter schools, boards of cooperative
services, the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind,
community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, organizations
that serve underserved communities, law enforcement agencies, first
responder organizations, military forces, and faith-based organizations
(organizations). Subject to available appropriations, the training program
is available at no cost to the organizations selected to participate.
The bill requires the office to promulgate rules to establish criteria
for an application process. The third-party entity shall create an
application process based on the rules promulgated by the office.
The office shall use pre- and post-course surveys developed by a
national mental and behavioral health organization to evaluate the
effectiveness of the training program. The third-party entity shall
administer the pre- and post-course surveys to collect evaluation data
from the organizations.
The third-party entity shall submit a report to the office
summarizing the evaluation data collected. The office is required to
include a summary of the evaluation data collected and recommendations,
if necessary, concerning the training program in the office's annual report
submitted to the general assembly each November 1.
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