II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3325 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 

the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to carry 

out a 5-year demonstration program to fund mental health first aid 

training programs at 10 institutions of higher education to improve 

student mental health. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 21, 2012 

Mr. BEGICH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to carry out a 

5-year demonstration program to fund mental health 

first aid training programs at 10 institutions of higher 

education to improve student mental health. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mental Health First 

3 Aid Higher Education Act of 2012’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH 

5 FIRST AID TRAINING AT INSTITUTIONS OF 

6 HIGHER EDUCATION. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

8 (1) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 

9 means an institution of higher education (as defined 

10 in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 

11 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 

12 (2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

13 of Health and Human Services, acting through the 

14 Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental 

15 Health Services Administration, in coordination with 

16 the Secretary of Education. 

17 (b) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The 

18 Secretary may carry out a demonstration program con19 sisting of awarding grants to 10 institutions of higher edu20 cation for implementation of a mental health first aid 

21 training program described in subsection (d) to improve 

22 student mental health. 

23 (c) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM DURATION.—The 

24 demonstration program under this section is authorized 

25 to be carried out for a total period of not more than 5 

26 years. 


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1 (d) MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING PRO2 GRAM DESCRIBED.—A mental health first aid training 

3 program described in this subsection— 

4 (1) shall be designed to train individuals in the 

5 categories listed in subsection (e) to accomplish the 

6 objectives described in subsection (f); 

7 (2) shall ensure that training is conducted by 

8 trainers that are properly licensed and credentialed 

9 by nonprofit entities as designated by the Secretary; 

10 and 

11 (3) shall include— 

12 (A) at a minimum— 

13 (i) a core course of up to 12 hours in 

14 length for individuals in the categories list15 ed in subsection (e) on the skills, re16 sources, and knowledge to assist individ17 uals in crisis to connect with appropriate 

18 local mental health care services; 

19 (ii) training on available off-campus 

20 mental health resources in the State and 

21 local community; and 

22 (iii) training on action plans and pro23 tocols for referral to such resources; and 


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1 (B) where feasible, continuing education 

2 and updated training for individuals in the cat3 egories listed in subsection (e). 

4 (e) CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS TO BE

5 TRAINED.—The categories of individuals listed in this 

6 subsection are, with respect to individuals at an institution 

7 of higher education, the following: 

8 (1) On-campus counseling center personnel. 

9 (2) Dormitory resident advisers. 

10 (3) Members of threat assessment and discipli11 nary committees. 

12 (4) Faculty members. 

13 (5) Coaches and other athletic department em14 ployees. 

15 (6) Members of threat assessment teams. 

16 (7) Other administrators and personnel of the 

17 institution of higher education, as determined appro18 priate by the Secretary. 

19 (f) OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING.—A mental health first 

20 aid training program funded under this section shall be 

21 designed to train individuals in the categories listed in 

22 subsection (e) to accomplish each of the following objec23 tives: 

24 (1) Safe de-escalation of crisis situations. 


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1 (2) Recognition by individuals in the categories 

2 listed in subsection (e) of the signs and symptoms 

3 of mental illness, including mental illnesses typically 

4 encountered on campus such as schizophrenia, bipo5 lar disorder, major clinical depression, and anxiety 

6 disorders. 

7 (3) Timely referral to mental health services in 

8 the early stages of developing mental disorders in 

9 order to— 

10 (A) avoid more costly subsequent behav11 ioral health care; and 

12 (B) assist the student to maintain enroll13 ment. 

14 (g) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In awarding grants 

15 under subsection (b), the Secretary shall ensure that the 

16 grant recipients are located in geographically disparate 

17 cities and States across the United States. 

Æ 


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