Senate Education Committee Passes Training Supports For Educators

SB 20-001 heads to Senate Appropriations committee

Denver, CO – Today the Senate Education committee passed SB-001 to expand behavioral health training for K-12 educators. Our teachers, administrators, and school personnel are on the frontlines of the growing mental health crisis in our schools, and this bill establishes programs to support them in supporting our students. The statistics speak for themselves:

• America’s teen suicide rate is increasing at an alarming rate. Between 2013 and 2017, suicide was the leading cause of death among Colorado youth ages 10 – 18.

• A report recently published by the United Health Foundation found that half of Colorado children aged 3 to 17 do not receive the mental health counseling that they need.

“Teachers are in many ways, the mental-health first responders for our kids. They exist on the frontlines of our child suicide crisis, and they need our help,” said bill sponsor Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora). “We must give educators the necessary tools to support students when they desperately need it, or we will continue to see kids struggle in silence."

SB20-001 will provide funding to expand professional development opportunities via the Colorado Department of Education for school personnel related to youth behavioral and mental health issues. Prevention, early intervention, and stigma reduction are key factors in improving mental health and wellness.

“My son Robbie died by suicide October 11, 2018. He was 15 years old. We were at a parent teacher conference and came home to our worst nightmare," said Keri Eckert founder of Robbie’s Hope Foundation. “Mental illness is treatable, yet many teens struggle silently alone. It’s time we give teachers and students what they are asking for and need.”

This bipartisan bill will establish a network of qualified trainers in schools across the state. These trainers will be able to instruct their colleagues in the skills they need to identify students facing behavioral health or substance use issues and provide them with the tools and resources they need address this challenge. Learn more about the bill here.