Suicide Prevention Month is Over, But We Always Fight on.

As we come to the end of Suicide Prevention Month, Governor Brown signed in to law Assembly Bill 2246 (O’Donnell) to mandate that districts with students in grades 7 to 12 adopt suicide prevention policies.

While districts were previously encouraged to develop suicide prevention policies, this bill will ensure that district governing boards adopt policies to prevent suicides.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24. Studies have also shown that LGBT youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-LGBT peers. In a national survey conducted by The Jason Foundation, the number one person that a student would turn to when trying to help a friend who might be suicidal was a teacher. This new law will require schools to adopt policies to give teachers the tools necessary for suicide awareness and prevention.

Below is the link to the State Superintendent’s News Release about AB 2246:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr16/yr16rel67.asp