SF 703

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 02/13/2015 08:42am

A bill for an act
relating to health; requiring suicide prevention training; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145.56, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145.56, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Community-based programs.

To the extent funds are appropriated for the
purposes of this subdivision, the commissioner shall establish a grant program to fund:

(1) community-based programs to provide education, outreach, and advocacy
services to populations who may be at risk for suicide;

(2) community-based programs that educate community helpers and gatekeepers,
such as family members, spiritual leaders, coaches, and business owners, employers, and
coworkers on how to prevent suicide by encouraging help-seeking behaviors;

(3) community-based programs that educate populations at risk for suicide and
community helpers and gatekeepers that must include information on the symptoms
of depression and other psychiatric illnesses, the warning signs of suicide, skills for
preventing suicides, and making or seeking effective referrals to intervention and
community resources; and

(4) community-based programs to provide evidence-based suicide prevention and
intervention education to deleted text begin school staff, deleted text end parents deleted text begin , deleted text end and students in grades kindergarten through
12, and deleted text begin for deleted text end students attending Minnesota colleges and universities new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (5) community-based programs to provide evidence-based suicide prevention and
intervention to school staff, grade school through college, including but not limited
to public school nurses, teachers, professors, administrators, coaches, school social
workers, counselors, peace officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, advanced
emergency medical technicians, paramedics, primary care providers, and others; and
new text end

new text begin (6) community-based, evidence-based postvention training to mental health
professionals and practitioners in order to provide technical assistance to communities
after a suicide and to prevent suicide clusters and contagion new text end .

Sec. 2. new text begin IMPROVING THE USE OF SUICIDE-RELATED DATA; REPORT.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health, in consultation with stakeholders, shall submit a
detailed plan identifying proposed methods to improve the timeliness, usefulness, and
quality of suicide-related data so that the data can help identify the scope of the suicide
problem, identify high-risk groups, set priority prevention activities, and monitor the
effects of suicide prevention programs. The report shall include how to improve external
cause of injury coding, progress on implementing the Minnesota Violent Death Reporting
System, how to obtain and release data in a timely manner, and how to support the use of
psychological autopsies.
new text end

new text begin (b) The written report must be provided to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the house of representatives and senate finance and policy divisions and committees
with jurisdiction over health and human services by February 1, 2016.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; TRAINING RELATED TO SUICIDE.
new text end

new text begin (a) $100,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $100,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health to provide training as required in
Minnesota Statutes, section 145.56, subdivision 2, clause (5).
new text end

new text begin (b) $50,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health to provide training as required in
Minnesota Statutes, section 145.56, subdivision 2, clause (6).
new text end

new text begin (c) $150,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health to work with tribes to address the
high rate of suicide among American Indians.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; TEXT MESSAGE SUICIDE PREVENTION
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health for a grant to a nonprofit organization
to expand the statewide text message suicide prevention program. The program provides a
suicide prevention counseling text line designed to use text messaging to connect with
crisis counselors, obtain emergency information, and make referrals to local resources
within the community. The program shall include training in schools and communities
to encourage use of the program.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATION; MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING.
new text end

new text begin $22,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $23,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of health to provide mental health first aid training to
teachers, social service personnel, law enforcement, and others who come into contact
with children with mental illnesses.
new text end