TEACHERS TO LEARN SIGNS OF SUICIDE

Mary MacVean | LA Times Homeroom Blog

July 18, 2008 - The governor signed into law today a measure that would allow teachers to get up to two hours of suicide prevention training.

The Jason Flatt Act, SB 1378, authorizes school districts to use some of their Professional Development Block Grant funding to pay for the training.

According to the bill, by Sen. Robert Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga), suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people 15 to 24.

“It’s my sincere hope other states will follow our lead in helping ensure teachers across the nation are trained to recognize the warning signs of youth suicide,”  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

The bill is named for Jason Flatt, who committed suicide at age 16.

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smf 2¢ : In a recent stint as "principal-for-a-day" at an inner city elementary school the real principal shared with me a file of suicide notes and suicide related writings from 6 - 12 year olds - this is a very real problem. It would be better if the legislation above used the word "requires" instead of "authorize" and "allow" - but legislation that actually calls for money rather than good intentions to be invested doesn't get the governor's signature. Hopefully the bill that puts it right isn't named for another child suicide victim.

Teachers to learn signs of suicide | The Homeroom | Los Angeles Times