House Bill 791

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH FIRST-AID TRAINING PROVIDED TO TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL STAFF; TO REQUIRE THE TRAINING TO BE PROVIDED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH; TO PRESCRIBE THE COMPONENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE TRAINING AND DESIGNATE THE MODEL TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE USED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Legislature finds that a lack of information about mental health problems amongst the general public leads to stigmatizing attitudes and prevents affected persons from seeking the necessary help early and seeking the best form of help available. This lack of information and proper education also prevents individuals from providing support to family members, friends and colleagues because they are uninformed as to the proper actions and procedures to take to address issues resulting from mental illness. The lack of knowledge about mental health problems limits the initial accessibility of evidence-based treatments and leads to a lack of support for persons with a mental disorder from family, friends, and other members of the community.

(2) The focus on training for teachers and educational staff is intended to provide opportunities for early intervention when the first signs of developing mental illness may be recognized in children, teens and young adults, so that appropriate referrals may be made to evidence-based behavioral health services.

SECTION 2. (1) The State Department of Education may provide funds for mental health first-aid training targeted at teachers and educational staff. The training, to be provided by the State Department of Education in conjunction with the Department of Mental Health, shall follow the model developed by the department of psychology in Melbourne, Australia. Instruction provided must describe common mental disorders that arise in youth, their possible causes and risk factors, the availability of evidence-based medical, psychological, and alternative treatments, processes for making referrals for behavioral health services, and methods to effectively render assistance in both initial intervention and crisis situations. The State Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health shall collaborate to identify sites and methods of instruction that leverage local resources to the extent possible for the purpose of making the

mental health first-aid training broadly available to each school district within the state.

(2) The implementation of the training authorized shall be subject to an appropriation by the Legislature to the State Department of Education for the funding of such training under House Bill No. _____, 2014 Regular Session.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.