HARRISBURG – Bucks County Sen. Steve Santarsiero has introduced legislation to support student mental health in PA public schools. Senate Bill 1262 would require schools to implement at least one hour, or a standard class period, per year of training in suicide prevention, violence prevention, and social inclusion to students in grades 6 through 12. Santarsiero says these early-prevention measures empower everyone to keep schools and communities safe and effectively teach youth and adults how to prevent school violence, shootings, and other harmful acts. In the training, school personnel will also learn how to identify the signs and signals of depression, suicide, and self-injury in students, and when and how to refer youth and their families to appropriate mental health services. The effort to mandate the training has been advocated for by Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit group based in Newtown, Connecticut, and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
SEN. STEVE SANTARSIERO