20-7-1310. Youth suicide awareness and prevention training. (1) This section may be cited as the "Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training Act".
     (2) The office of public instruction shall provide guidance and technical assistance to Montana schools on youth suicide awareness and prevention training materials. All training materials offered must be approved by the office of public instruction, meet the standards for professional development in the state, and be periodically reviewed by a qualified person or committee for consistency with generally accepted principles of youth suicide awareness and prevention training.
     (3) The legislature recommends that youth suicide awareness and prevention training be made available annually to each employee of a school district and to staff of the office of public instruction who work directly with any students enrolled in Montana public schools. The training must be provided at no cost to the employee. The training may be offered through any method of training identified in subsection (4).
     (4) The legislature recommends that employees under subsection (3) take at least 2 hours of youth suicide awareness and prevention training every 5 years. Appropriate methods for delivery of the training include:
     (a) in-person attendance at a live training;
     (b) videoconference;
     (c) an individual program of study of designated materials;
     (d) self-review modules available online; and
     (e) any other method chosen by the local school board that is consistent with professional development standards.

     History: En. Secs. 1, 2, Ch. 351, L. 2015.