Signed by Governor Tom Wolf

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a certification process for schools to become Certified Suicide Prevention Institutions of Higher Education.

Highlights:

• Authorizes each institution of higher education to develop and implement a plan to advise students and staff on mental health and suicide prevention programs available both on campus and off campus (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the mental health and suicide prevention plan to, at the very least, include (Sec. 1):

• Contact information for national, State and local suicide prevention hotlines;

• Crisis intervention services which include providing the address, telephone number or any other contact information of individuals with training and experience in mental health issues who focus on suicide prevention;

• Mental Health Services and access, including providing the necessary information to access mental health services.

• Multimedia access, including mental health and suicide warning signs, services available to individuals at no  cost and available mental health and suicide prevention resources, which may include mobile applications;

• Student Communication plans, consisting of outreach plans regarding, at a minimum, mental health services and suicide prevention; and

• Post intervention plans, including a process to create a strategic plan to communicate effectively with students, staff and parents after the loss of a student to suicide.

• Requires Institution of higher education to make individuals with training and experience available on campus or remotely for students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the institution of higher education to post on the institution’s publicly accessible internet website the mental health and suicide prevention plan adopted by the institution and applicable free prevention materials or programs, if the institution adopts a plan (Sec. 1).

• Requires the institution of higher education to provide all incoming students with the suicide prevention plans information, if the institution of higher education enacts a mental health and suicide prevention plan (Sec. 1).

• Requires that not less than twice a calendar year, the institution of higher education to transmit to each student by mail or email information in regards to the mental health and suicide prevention plan, if the institution of higher education enacts a mental health and suicide prevention plan (Sec. 1).

• Requires Institution of Higher Education to review and update the plan at once annually, if the institution enacts (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Education to post information on its publicly accessible internet website, if the department receives a student mental health and suicide prevention plan from an institution of higher education (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the department to adopt or create a logo for institutions of higher education that have been certified as certified suicide prevention institutions of higher education (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes an institution of higher education which has been certified by the department to use the logo created by the department (Sec. 1).

• Defines “Institution of Higher Education” as something that includes any of the following (Sec. 1):

• A community college;

• A university within the state system of higher education;

• The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, Lincoln University, or any other institution designated as state-related by the Commonwealth;

• The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology;

• A college established under the Public School Code of 1949;

• An institution of higher education located in and incorporated or chartered by the Commonwealth and entitled to confer degrees and as provided for by the standards and qualifications prescribed by the State Board of Education;

• A Private School Licensed under the Private Licensed School Act; and

• A foreign Corporation approved to operate an Education Enterprise.

Full Bill Text