What's happening
This bill requires the Office of Mental Health to create and distribute suicide prevention educational materials for college educators in New York.
Why it matters
Equips educators with practical tools. By requiring the Office of Mental Health to develop and distribute educational materials, the bill ensures that college faculty and staff have concrete resources to recognize and respond to signs of depression and suicide risk among students.
Addresses cultural diversity in mental health. The materials must include information on how depression manifests differently across cultures, promoting more inclusive and effective support for New York’s diverse student populations.
Mandates rapid implementation. The bill requires the materials to be made available within ninety days of enactment, potentially speeding up colleges’ ability to intervene and support at-risk students.
Centralizes and standardizes information. By distributing resources through the Office of Mental Health’s official channels, the bill helps ensure that all public higher education institutions in New York receive consistent, evidence-based guidance on suicide prevention.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Suicide Prevention Materials for Educators
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Substituted by A3210A
- Amended on third reading 5860a
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.401
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
- Reported and committed to rules
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Suicide Prevention Training for Educators
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5860--A Cal. No. 401
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 3, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities -- recommitted to the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec.
8 -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to require the office of mental health to develop educational materials for educators regarding suicide prevention
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The commissioner of the office of mental health, in consultation with the commissioner of the department of education, shall provide and publish, in electronic or other format, educational materials for any New York state university or community college, or a city university, regarding suicide prevention measures and signs of depression among students attending such university or community college, or a city university. Such educational materials shall include, but not be limited to, information regarding symptoms of depression, how depression manifests itself in different cultures, warning signs of suicide, actions to take once a student is identified as at risk of suicide, and a list of educational websites regarding suicide and students attending a university or college. Such educational materials shall be made available to the faculty and staff or any New York state university or community college, or a city university, through the official website of the office of mental health and by any other means deemed appropriate by the commissioner of the office of mental health within ninety days of the effective date of this act.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08209-03-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to require the office of mental health to develop educational materials for educators regarding suicide prevention
Purpose
The purpose of the bill is to provide information from the Office of Mental Health (OMH) on depression and suicide prevention for any New York State university, community college or city university.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill would require the commissioner of the Office of Mental Health (OMH) to consult with the commissioner of the Department of Education on the distribution of educational materials, in electronic or other format, to be used by educators on suicide prevention measures, and signs of depression from students attending any New York State university, community college, or city university.
Justification
Suicide can have a tremendous impact on colleges and universities, lead- ing to profound grief among peers, faculty, and staff. Campuses must be prepared to address these consequences. There not only is need for a prevention and intervention program in place, but there must be a post- vention plan in partnership with a behavioral health provider in the community. A postvention is an intervention conducted after a suicide, largely taking the form of support for bereaved family, friends, profes- sionals and peers. Family and friends of the suicide victim may be at increased risk of suicide themselves.
With the rise of opioid use and addiction, most commonly found in college age individuals, according to the New England Journal of Medi- cine Many opioid overdose deaths may actually be suicides. A person with opioid abuse issues who is suicidal needs different treatment than one who is not suicidal
Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality shows that from 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States increased 24%, from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 populations, with the pace of increase greater after 2006. Suicide rates increased from 1999 through 2014 for both males and females and for all ages 10-74. The percent increase in suicide rates for females was greatest for those aged 10-14, and for males, those aged 45-64.
The most frequent suicide method in 2014 for males involved the use of firearms (55.4%), while poisoning was the most frequent method for females (34.1%). Percentages of suicides attributable to suffocation increased for both sexes between 1999 and 2014.
Suicide is an important public health issue involving psychological, biological, and societal factors. After a period of nearly consistent decline in suicide rates in the United States from 1986 through 1999, suicide rates have increased almost steadily from 1999 through 2014. While suicide among adolescents and young adults is increasing and among the leading causes of death for those demographic groups, suicide among middle-aged adults is also rising.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.